


Dreamcatcher

by GoldenLunarEclipse



Series: Dreamcatcher [1]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Action, Adrinette, Background Relationships, Drama, Family Drama, Gen, Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste, Identity Reveal, MabugAdoir, News Media
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-17
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-18 22:01:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12397113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenLunarEclipse/pseuds/GoldenLunarEclipse
Summary: When the latest akuma villain puts Gabriel Agreste into a sleep in which he experiences his best and worst possible futures, the fashion mogul has a lot to consider once he wakes up. Especially since his dreams reveal the identities of Paris’s heroes.





	1. Future Planning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GLE – My standard MLB-fic notes: I’m using the official English names because I am fluent in French and the way that words sound to my readers – even in their own heads – is important to me (for the record: the “t” is silent, it’s pronounced “Sha”). I also ship the two main characters with each other (forget the square; I call my ship MabugAdoir). And her name is “Marinette”; a shortened version of that would sound really strange in French (in my opinion).
> 
> Other notes – This was supposed to be kind of short, like under 10,000 words. It’s looking like it’s going to be nearly double that… haha! Well, let’s start this journey…

“I’m going to be famous, just like all the actors I met when my parents and I dropped by Hollywood,” said Lila Rossi. She leaned back in her chair, twirled a strand of hair in her fingers, and grinned in what she knew to be a cute manner. “After all, it’s only natural that they’d want me to be just as famous as them. We get along so well!”

Pierrette Cadieux bit her tongue to keep from rolling her eyes. As the Guidance Counsellor at Collège Françoise-Dupont, she wanted to help her students map out their paths to their dreams during their Careers Advice sessions with her. But that would be rather hard to do when students like this one just lied about everything. Still, the girl had a good idea for her future since she obviously liked make-believe. Mrs. Cadieux was going to try her best to encourage it in a productive way.

“Perhaps you can take some supplemental acting classes so that you can enter your career even faster,” the advisor suggested. “I know a theatre group that is always open to new talent which I recommend you join as well.”

“Why would I need to do that?” asked the girl. “You don’t need skills to be famous. People just have to like you. And luckily for me, lots of people like me.”

Mrs. Cadieux frowned slightly. Uncoachable students were disheartening. Glancing at the clock, she noticed that their fifteen minutes were up. “Alright, Lila. Thank you for coming in. Could you send in the next student, please?”

And so a steady stream of students arrived at Mrs. Cadieux's door.

 

* * *

 

“I understand that you’re already a successful model. Will you be continuing this career when you graduate?”

Adrien Agreste shrugged. “Probably. I mean modeling is okay but it wouldn’t be my first choice.”

“Oh? Well, what is? Perhaps I can give you guidance in that direction.”

The boy’s shoulders slumped a little. “No point.” He waved a dismissive hand. “Father wouldn’t approve.”

Mrs. Cadieux bit her lip. It wasn’t for an educator to come between a parent and child, and that troubled her.

 

* * *

 

“Work? Me?” Chloe Bourgeois wore an incredulous expression. “You must be joking. Daddy wouldn’t dream of putting me in such an undignified position.”

Mrs. Cadieux sighed and rubbed her temple. “Next?”

 

* * *

 

“I don’t know what I want to do.” Phillipe Guillaume crossed his arms and slouched further in his chair.

“Well, what are you interested in?” Mrs. Cadieux asked gently.

The boy gave a noncommittal shrug.

“How about your favourite subject in school?”

“I don’t know.”

“Things you like to do with your friends?”

“I don’t have friends,” he said quietly.

 

* * *

 

“Can we get this over with?” asked Alix Kubdel before she’d even taken a seat. “It’s nearly the end of classes and I’ve got places I wanna be after this.”

Mrs. Cadieux gave her a tight smile. “This won’t take long. How about you tell me about any career path you’re contemplating?”

Alix snorted. “Aw, who cares about that right now?” she said flippantly. “I’ve got at least another year of goofing around with my friends before I even have to _start_ thinking about a career.”

The counsellor’s lips grew thinner. “Would you at least consider _trying_ to begin on a career plan?”

 

* * *

 

When Alix left the office – one minute after the bell – Mrs. Cadieux sunk into her chair and let out a long, low breath. How could the girl so easily dismiss something so important? But it wasn’t just Alix; most of the afternoon in general had been frustrating. If only she could show these students the importance of their dreams, they’d surely take their sessions with her more seriously.

She stood and paced in aggravation, letting the emotions express themselves, to get them all out before she would go into her calming routine. Unfortunately for the educator, however, it was at the peak of her vexed state that the local supervillain decided to target her. A black and purple butterfly fluttered in through the window and landed on the clipboard in her hands. Her face lit up with a moth-shaped outline and a voice spoke in her head.

 _“Dreamcatcher,”_ he said. _“I am Hawkmoth. These students obviously don’t understand how important it is to plan for the future. But I do. I will give you the power to make a lasting impression on them, and all I ask in return is that you guide me to my future by getting me two objects that I desire: the Miraculouses of Ladybug and Cat Noir. Agreed?”_

A sinister smile that didn’t quite fit on Mrs. Cadieux’s face bloomed across it in that moment.

“Yes, Hawkmoth.”

 

* * *

 

– One Hour Earlier –

Gabriel Agreste was sitting in his office at work, rifling through a number of sample materials on his desk. The knock at his door didn’t disrupt his flow.

“Yes?” he said without looking up.

The door opened and Nathalie stepped in.

“The men’s outfits are ready for your inspection,” she said without preamble.

At this, the man finally paused. He gave his assistant a nod and stood, letting the sample in his hand fall back onto the desk. “Thank you for informing me.”

The two of them exited the room and walked down the hall, entering through the door at the very end of it.

The space was large, full of tables with sewing machines that were noisily humming while seamsters worked. The boss and assistant took a left, heading into a smaller section that had been walled off from the rest of the room. It was full of racks and hangers and clothing, where all the completed outfits were stored. The closest rack to him housed the suits he was looking for.

Gabriel’s normally stoic expression became grave. He flipped through several suit jackets and grimaced. Grabbing one off the rack, he marched back into the main space and raised his voice. “Chantal? George? What is this?”

The two employees he’d called dropped what they were doing and rushed over to him, both appearing concerned and slightly apprehensive.

Gabriel thrust the jacket out for them to see, pointing at the accents and lining. “The colour of the year is _greenery_ , not this horrible _olive_ shade! Who is responsible for this?”

Chantal and George glanced at one another. Clearing her throat, Chantal’s gaze returned to Gabriel and she took the jacket from him to give it a closer inspection. Her brows furrowed and she replied, “I’m sure we ordered the correct colour, sir, but this isn’t it. Perhaps we were sent the wrong material…”

Gabriel’s lips stretched into a displeased line. “I see. Be that as it may, someone should have spotted this well before this point. Take them apart, have the green pieces dyed the proper shade, and get them sewn back together again. I’m giving you a day to complete this, understood?”

“Yes, sir,” they responded.

“Good.”

He turned around and left the room, heading back to his office as Nathalie followed silently, taking note of the incident on her tablet.

The upcoming Saturday evening’s _Gabriel’s Formal Wear Line Gala_ (or Formal Gala for short) had undoubtedly been affected by a lack of attention, due to all their efforts having been focused on their most recent success. _Gabriel_ had been commissioned by the cast and crew of _Le Rêve dans le Cauchemar_ , a film that was selected for the Cannes Film Festival, and they’d put in numerous hours creating exceptionally designed outfits for the attendees. The final dress had in fact been completed only days ago, and needed a minor alteration yesterday, just in time for the red carpet.

With the Gala two days away and still so much to do, Gabriel was feeling annoyed. They couldn’t afford mistakes like this. He pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew he needed to remain calm otherwise his work would really suffer. A niggling thought at the back of his mind started to worm its way forward as it always did when he was feeling particularly tense like this. Its appeal was perhaps similar to what drugs meant to an addict, though it wasn’t something so crude and meaningless as that. And the rush, the incredibly powerful feeling it gave him was beyond comparison. That said, it was not without a worthy goal, though the perks of transforming and using powers were most definitely an added bonus.

Ready to quench his sudden thirst for that feeling once more, and to relax from his current stresses, Gabriel dropped the pattern he’d just lifted off his desk.

“I’m going to go home to work on these,” he said to Nathalie. “I need a change of environment.”

“Of course, sir,” agreed his assistant. She tapped a quick text message on her phone. “The car will be out front by the time you get there.”

He gave her a curt nod to dismiss her, gathered his things, and left.

Once he’d arrived home, he headed to his office immediately, setting aside the samples for later. Alone in the house as he was, he slipped unseen into a secret passage that led to a domed room full of butterflies. Watching them flutter to and fro set a slight smile on his face. It was time to let his frustrations out of his system.

“Now,” he said out loud to the open space, pulling aside his tie to reveal a hidden brooch, “let’s continue our quest for Ladybug’s and Cat Noir’s Miraculouses. Nooroo, Dark Wings Rise!”

The mauve kwami that had silently floated out of hiding to be in his master’s sightline was promptly absorbed into the oval brooch, changing its shape into a butterfly. A purple energy flared out and transformed his appearance, leaving the masked menace of Paris, Hawkmoth himself, in Gabriel’s place.

He reached out with his mind over the city, trying to catch a taste of distress, someone he could push into expressing their darker feelings in an antagonistic way so as to draw out his prey. However, truth be told, today was one of those days where he wasn’t focused so much on getting the Miraculous as he was just exercising his powers. He just wanted to use them and feel that some forward progress was being made, especially since the men’s outfits for the Gala were headed in the reverse direction. Just a quick evilization of someone and he could return to work feeling much calmer, get more accomplished. If he happened to also succeed in retrieving the Miraculouses he desired, then that would be a spectacular bonus.

The school wasn’t too far away, and with the highly unstable emotions of teenagers, it was often the easiest and fastest place to find a candidate, so he focused his attention there first.

“Ah yes,” he announced. “I sense someone who is feeling just as frustrated as I am with incompetent underlings.”

He reached out further with his emotion-detecting aura and got a slightly better semblance of her situation.

“It seems that a teacher has made no impact on her students whatsoever.” He chuckled lightly. “Should I give her a new syllabus that will have those children enthralled in all her lessons?”

Pulling his focus back to himself and his domed lair, Hawkmoth held out a hand and a white butterfly landed upon it. He covered it with wicked intent, then released it into the air.

“Fly away, little akuma, and evilize her!”

His spirit seemed to follow along with the butterfly, fluttering this way and that across the city. It reached the school in no time and found the correct window, flitting in silently and dashing straight towards its target. It landed softly on her clipboard and melted into it, linking her consciousness together with Hawkmoth’s.

Hawkmoth smiled as he spoke to her, assigning her a new name, and convincing her to be his new champion. She didn’t really have much of a chance against him, even if the negative feelings of hers that he was manipulating weren’t quite as potent as some of his previous villains. Having his akuma aligned with her gave him a much clearer image of her exact problem, and he tapped into it with all he had.

Granting powers was his special power, like Cat Noir’s Cataclysm and Ladybug’s Lucky Charm, and it always felt exclusive, unique. It combined the champion’s own thoughts and feelings with the impression Hawkmoth had of them. _What kind of supervillain would he create this time? What kind of powers would his champion have? What would they do to ultimately attract the attention of Paris’s superheroes?_ Hawkmoth was endlessly fascinated by the answers to these questions.

Dreamcatcher was born and Hawkmoth scrutinized the powers she’d been granted.

“How very interesting,” he muttered to himself. A satisfied grin stretched his lips. She would be able to affect a lot of people probably, and all the better if Ladybug or Cat Noir got caught in her attack. However, it would likely be some time until the public noticed her.

He watched through her eyes as she turned into sand and slid out the window, floating on the air to her first goal, the Grand Paris Hotel, which everyone knew was home to the Bourgeois family. Locating the room of the mayor’s daughter, she slithered inside and reformed her body, still hovering above the floor. Before Chloe Bourgeois could even scream at the intruder, Dreamcatcher put her to sleep. The villain settled herself down on a chair to watch the girl and peer into her dreams.

A first warning beep sounded from his Miraculous, and Hawkmoth released a long breath, his tension from earlier subsiding. Dreamcatcher would leave the building with no one the wiser once she was satiated, and move onto tracking down her next victim. He could check her progress later. For now, there was still a lot of work to be done over the next couple of days, and he needed to get to it.

“Dark Wings Fall, Nooroo,” he said, and his kwami reappeared, taking with him the transformation of Hawkmoth and returning the man to his state as Gabriel Agreste.

Gabriel reached impassively into his jacket pocket and removed a small, opened package from within. He tossed it to the floor, and Nooroo settled down upon it, digging into the contents: his preferred food for regeneration.

The designer retreated to his office and no sooner did he sit down at his desk than a call rang out on his phone.

“Yes?”

“Sir, could you come back to the _Gabriel_ premises?” said Nathalie on the other end. “There’s an urgent matter regarding the women’s dresses for the Gala which needs to be dealt with.”

“On my way,” he replied shortly and hung up.

Despite her undesirable message, Gabriel was still feeling rather relaxed, though not quite content as he had been mere moments ago. Perhaps her neutral tone played a part in that, but the larger credit was most certainly due to the activities his secret identity had just had a hand in. He sighed and stood. If they had to dye all the dresses too, so be it. His employees would have to stay up late tonight to make sure they’d have time to dry by Saturday, but at least there was still enough time to get everything done by then.

 

* * *

 

“ _What?_ ” Gabriel bit out when he was informed of the problem. “How did this happen? No, never mind, I don’t have time to hear it. Just… give them to me and I’ll find an appropriate solution.”

Of all the things that could go wrong, this was one of the worst oversights he’d seen in years. Somehow the measurements for the dresses had been taken in the wrong units. Some further miscommunication occurred between departments resulting in all of the dresses being far too small for the models who would be wearing them and there wasn’t enough material to let them out to the necessary sizes. There were now less than two days until the Gala and as it stood, no dresses would be appearing in it!

Gabriel closed the door loudly when his employees left his office and he whirled around to stare at the rack of dresses they’d wheeled in. He rubbed at his temple. What on earth would he do about this? His company’s reputation, his _name’s_ reputation, was dependent upon the continued display of excellence. He demanded it of all his employees and of himself. And as the boss, it was his responsibility to set things right.

The designer sat heavily down at his desk and pulled out a fresh pad of paper. He would probably be here until late at night reworking what he had into something that met his standards and could be completed in time for the Gala. The framed photo on the corner of his desk caught his eye and he paused. Adrien. Dinner with Adrien was no longer an option today. He let out a resigned sigh and picked up his phone instead.

“Nathalie? Yes. Could you inform Adrien that I will not be present for dinner tonight? Yes. I have a lot of work to do and I don’t know when I’ll be coming home. Thank you.”

Hanging up, a frown set in and he got started on his task.

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t until the early hours of the morning that Gabriel finally made his way home. He had enough time for a half hour nap, a quick shower and shave, and breakfast. Adrien didn’t say anything to him, and unfortunately, by the time the boy was only halfway through his meal, Gabriel needed to leave for work again.

When the man arrived back at the _Gabriel_ premises, he was already prepared for the day. He took charge of the potential disaster quickly and had all of his employees tackling various assignments to get the Formal Gala back on track. His late hours last night had proven fruitful. He’d been able to rework the designs of the dresses with the material given, and keeping in mind the previous versions of them not to mention the realistic amount of time it would take to complete them for tomorrow night. He’d had to remove two dresses from the lineup, but overall, he believed that it would all work out – the event was not a lost cause!

He spent the day concentrating on his own assignments and was so focused he’d put his current akuma villain quite far from his mind.

In late afternoon, Gabriel was granted a slight break from the intense work indoors.

“Nathalie, let’s go to the Gala venue now. The tech rehearsal will be starting in half an hour and I need to make sure everything is accounted for. We’ll pick up Adrien from school on the way. I know he was supposed to come later, but I want to make sure his outfit for tomorrow night fits properly since it was dyed and re-sewn with the rest of the men’s line.”

“Of course, sir.”

While Adrien would not be appearing on the catwalk – he was a photo model only – he would be present at the event and Gabriel would not waste an opportunity to dress Adrien in clothes that would make him look great in any photos taken by the media, as well as further promote the Formal Wear Line.

With Adrien’s bodyguard driving and Nathalie in the front seat next to him, Gabriel sat in the back and used the time during the ride to respond to messages on his tablet. There was a lot to do, but he believed the event could still be a success.

The car pulled up outside of Collège Françoise-Dupont and the driver got out, going around to the other side and opening the door. Gabriel looked up then, expecting to see his son coming down the steps from the school and climbing into the car. What he didn’t foresee was a panicked student body suddenly bursting out the doors of the school and a dreadfully familiar villain following after them, floating a few meters in the air and throwing attacks at students who would promptly fall to the ground, unconscious.

Gabriel’s own sense of alarm took quick hold of his heart and he hoped that his son was safe. How could he have forgotten his current champion? It seemed that _she_ certainly hadn’t forgotten their deal. She’d obviously become far more active in the recent hour or two, and it wouldn’t be long until Ladybug and Cat Noir showed up. A fleeting thought went out towards the Miraculouses that could potentially soon be his, but Gabriel’s concern for Adrien quickly pushed that from his mind as he clambered out of the car to go find him.

“Chloe Bourgeois… Alix Kubdel… Lila Rossi… Phillipe Guillaume… They’re learning what kind of future they can have, and so will all of you!” Dreamcatcher announced dramatically. “Now, where is Adrien Agreste? I must make sure he gets a taste of his future too!”

“Don’t you dare go after my son!” shouted Gabriel up at the villain.

This would not do at all. He needed to distract her until Adrien could get to safety and at some point, he would get away to transform and order Dreamcatcher to focus only on the retrieval of the Miraculous.

Dreamcatcher looked down at him and tilted her head to one side.

“His father,” she muttered in understanding. “It would do you well to see what kind of future you and Adrien will have.”

With that, she wrote a quick note on her darkened clipboard and ripped the sheet off. She threw it at Gabriel, the paper transforming into a streak of energy that whizzed forward before he could blink and hit him in the chest. He caught a glimpse of Cat Noir racing towards him, and then everything went dark.

 

* * *

 -(x)-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GLE – I didn't expect how detailed I'd write how Hawkmoth's powers work, but they just ended up coming out that way and I think they're pretty neat! So, to some extent, his powers are like Lucky Charm in that he doesn't completely control the outcome and the powers themselves take on their final shape on their own. I think that he has more time than LB and CN do before his Miraculous times out. LB and CN have the most powerful Miraculouses, so they probably burn out faster too. HM's Miraculous has a longer time-out window, maybe more like 5 minutes per wing (at 4 wings, that's 20 minutes).
> 
> Not all, but some of the OC names in this fic were borrowed from people I used to know (French teachers, other students in my French Immersion classes, etc). Just the names – the characters themselves are vastly different from the people I remember. For example, Mme. Pierrette was my first French teacher (senior kindergarten). Mme. Cadieux was a later French teacher of mine (and my sister's too). I liked both of them, and I needed a civilian name for the villain-of-the-week character, so I decided to combine those names (Pierrette is also a first name).
> 
> "Greenery" is Pantone's colour of the year for 2017.
> 
> I've seen my mom sew a dress from scratch (uh, well, based on a pattern); it takes a lot of time (took her a couple weeks). The trickiest part seems to be getting the cuts (measurements) right. So, those men's jacket's? Already cut to the right size. Taking them apart to dye them then putting them back together again, with a team of people working on it, is not as big of a task as needing to rework the designs for the dresses using the material available.
> 
> This "Dreamcatcher" villain is partly based on Hawkmoth's less driven attempts at obtaining the Miraculous. For example, Vanisher was left to her own devices for over a day without any prompting from Hawkmoth to seek out Ladybug and Cat Noir until they finally showed up so much later. By comparison, Hawkmoth was entirely invested in obtaining the Miraculous when he'd akumatized Pixelator and Evilustrator, prompting them both to knock it off on their obsessions and to get focused on bringing him his obsession.
> 
> Thank you to my sister, Fey Phantom, for beta-ing this!
> 
> I'll be updating this story on Saturdays and Tuesdays. Let me know what you think so far!


	2. Caught in Slumber

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GLE – Thank you all for such wonderful feedback! Today is one hectic day for me, but I wanted to make sure I got this out to you as promised! I hope you enjoy it, so let’s enter the world of Gabriel’s dreams…

Gabriel rolled over under his covers and slowly opened his eyes. The room was unfamiliar, light trickling in from behind the curtains on patio doors, and he had the feeling that he was rocking slightly from side to side. Before he could sit up, a door on the other side of the room opened and someone came in.

“You’re still asleep, Father?”

Adrien’s voice was deeper, but unmistakably his. He followed up his question with a laugh.

“I can’t believe you’re still asleep at this time! Do you admit that we were right? You definitely needed this vacation! I’m glad you’re enjoying it!”

Adrien came around the bed and pulled the curtains aside, allowing the bright daylight to enter. He turned to face Gabriel with a pleasant expression. The father sat up slowly and observed his son’s appearance. Adrien was in his mid-thirties – a tall man who had outgrown most of his boyishness from his youth. His green eyes and smile, however, were still the same as they’d always been, and Gabriel couldn’t help but feel endeared to them. He smiled in return.

“If I must admit to something, I’d rather do it only once,” he conceded, “and in the presence of both you and your wife.”

“Yes!” Adrien fist-pumped. Then he coughed in a poor attempt to conceal his enthusiasm. At Gabriel’s look, he explained, “Marinette thought it would take you at least another two days before you started to really enjoy yourself. I won the bet.”

Gabriel shook his head and stood up. Leave it to the two of them to bet on something so ridiculous. His gaze drifted over to the patio doors. Just beyond them was a balcony with a table and a couple of chairs, and beyond that only water as far as the eye could see. This kind of relaxation was really nice, even if it cut into his work schedule.

He got dressed and ready for the day, then entered the main part of their suite. Adrien was preparing coffee in the corner and Marinette was sitting on the couch, one blond child on her lap and a dark-haired child glued to her side. She looked up and gave Gabriel a smile.

“Have a good sleep?” she asked.

The man nodded. “It has been a long time since I’ve last been on a cruise. I’m… glad that you convinced me to come.”

Her smile turned into a smirk. “And you were so worried about work! I’m sure it’ll be fine when we get back, and as your star designer, I know what I’m talking about!” Losing the smug edge, she added, “But really, I’m thankful that you chose to come, too. And the kids are happy to spend time with their grandfather.”

Gabriel agreed with the sentiment by reaching down to ruffle the hair of said grandkids.

“Hey! Grandfather!” they both protested, covering their heads with their arms.

Gabriel chuckled and turned to accept the mug of coffee that Adrien brought over to him.

“They’re looking forward to mini putt and the swimming pool today,” said Adrien. “And the movie under the stars tonight. Thanks again for taking care of them.”

“Not at all.” Gabriel raised a hand in a stop gesture. “You and Marinette deserve a day to yourselves. And I’m sure we’ll be having just as much fun. Isn’t that right, children?”

“Yes, Grandfather!”

“What movie’s playing tonight?” asked Marinette curiously.

Adrien’s face lit up in a grin and Marinette looked like she immediately regretted the question. “They’re playing that old _Miraculous_ movie, of all things! The overly dramatized, action-packed, and family-friendly battle between the heroes of Paris, Ladybug and Cat Noir, and their foe, Hawkmoth!”

Adrien laughed, but the children were interested and demanded to know more about it.

“Oh, you’ll enjoy it!” he told them. “It’s a classic good versus evil movie that was a box office hit before you were born. It’s a fun work of fiction, for sure, even though it is loosely based on the _real_ heroes of Paris.”

“Really?” they asked. “And the villain, Hawkmoth, was real too?”

“Yes, there really was a villain called Hawkmoth too,” Adrien replied. His eyes slid up to meet Gabriel’s and he continued in a warm, slightly playful voice, “But I’m glad that the real Hawkmoth ditched his misguided, villainous ways long before it came to blows like it does in the film.”

There was some part of Gabriel’s subconscious that jumped at the revelation that Adrien _knew_. Adrien knew who he was. But a greater part of him – the part that was fully invested in the world as it was in this moment – remembered that he knew, and remembered that he’d forgiven his father long ago. It was as Adrien said; Gabriel had given up on being a villain. The superheroes of Paris had won. And things had turned out splendidly. Gabriel could not be upset with this outcome in the least.

He nodded in acknowledgement to the truth of what his son said and stood, putting his empty mug down on the table.

“Well, children,” he announced, bringing their attention to him. “How about we get this day started?”

The two kids scrambled off their mother’s lap and couch with bright enthusiasm, grabbing Gabriel’s hands and dragging him towards the door eagerly. Gabriel chuckled, glancing back at their parents for a moment. Marinette had gotten up and Adrien had moved to stand beside her, an arm around her shoulder. They smiled and waved at their children, and told them to enjoy their day with their grandfather and to be on their best behaviour. As the children led him out into the hall, their small hands so warm and fragile in his own while the ship rocked gently from side to side, Gabriel felt like his heart had never been so full. Here he was with his family, a beautiful day at sea between ports on a wonderful cruise, taking the time to truly relax and enjoy what his life had to offer, and nothing could be more perfect.

A threatening movement suddenly rushed at him from the side and Gabriel pivoted to meet it.

_Clang!_

Hawkmoth grunted as his staff connected with Cat Noir’s baton. He stumbled back a step and felt like he’d gotten a sudden whiplash. The cold metal in his hands erased whatever warmth he’d just imagined feeling there, and he gave himself a mental shake of the head. Now was not the time for his mind to be wandering to who-knows-where. He was facing down the teenaged superheroes of Paris in a final, direct conflict. After this, it would be over. One of them would be walking away with the Miraculous of the other, and he was determined to be the victor!

Cat Noir thrust his baton forward, and they parried again. Hawkmoth recognized that the boy had some training in this area, and reluctantly admitted that it was a fairly even match. He leaned to the right, preparing to feint and then come in from the left when suddenly something heavy fell on him and pinned his arms to his sides.

He looked down to see a red truck tire with black polka dots, and he heard Ladybug land behind him. She quickly reached around, and to his horror, plucked the butterfly brooch off his chest. Nooroo spilled out of it and his transformation disappeared like smoke.

A hush fell over the street. Ladybug’s eyes were wide, but she stood her ground. Cat Noir’s mouth had dropped open, his hand loosening on his baton so much that it slipped from his fingers and hit the road, rolling a short distance before stopping. That Ladyblog girl, Alya, remained frozen in her spot behind cover, the hand holding her live streaming phone surprisingly steady, though the girl herself kept blinking rapidly as if to confirm that what she was seeing was real. Gabriel bowed his head, his face as impassive as ever. Inside, he felt a turmoil of emotions and he wanted to panic, but couldn’t bring himself to do something so undignified.

After what felt like forever, Cat Noir made the first move, stepping closer and sneering in disgust. He spoke in a low voice which only Gabriel and Ladybug were close enough to hear.

“I can’t believe that you’d do something like this, Father. Was it worth it?”

Gabriel’s head snapped up and his gaze met Cat Noir’s. The green eyes behind the black mask stared at him hard and all that was inside Gabriel began to crumble. He fell to his knees, not breaking eye contact with Cat Noir… with his son. He had been fighting Adrien all along. How could he have let this happen?

Everything was a bit of a blur after that. Cat Noir disappeared, the police arrived, and Ladybug finally removed the tire from his arms. She tossed it into the air to perform her final piece of magic before she dashed off to preserve her identity as the timer on her transformation neared zero. Gabriel was in handcuffs faster than he could say ‘Miraculous’ and Officer Roger was shoving him into the back of a police car all too soon.

_BAM!_

Gabriel managed to withhold from flinching at the sound. Despite the decade since his arrest, he still found the prison environment unsettling. He sat with his shoulders slumped forward and elbows on the table, hands clasped together and gaze downcast. It wasn’t very often he got a visitor, and it was usually some nosy, pretentious biographer who wanted to write his story.

When the visitor remained by the door for several moments too long, Gabriel finally raised his head. He failed to hold back a gasp. It had been years since his son’s last visit. Adrien looked wonderful – tall, healthy, green eyes the same that they’d always been – though the frown on his face was unmistakable. They stared at one another for an eternity before Adrien finally sighed and approached the table, pulling out a chair and sitting down across from his father.

“I heard that you’re dying,” he said bluntly.

Gabriel’s heart skipped a beat. He’d been trying so hard to forget about the unpleasant news of which the prison doctor had informed him nearly a month ago. He opened his mouth to speak.

“No,” said Adrien, holding up a hand, “whatever it is, I don’t want to hear it. The only reason I’m here is that I’ll do anything my Lady asks of me. And she said I should talk to you.”

He paused, eyes sliding to the side.

“…almost anything…”

Adrien’s frown deepened as he lost himself in his thoughts, but Gabriel stayed silent for him. He owed him at least that much.

Finally, his son sighed again and rubbed his hand down his face, returning his attention to the inmate.

“Marinette is the kindest, noblest person I’ve ever met,” he said seriously. “And she thinks we should forgive you. But I…”

Becoming agitated, Adrien stood abruptly and started pacing, glancing back at Gabriel every now and then. When he stopped, he placed both hands on the table rather loudly.

“We’re expecting another child,” he announced. “What am I supposed to tell it when it’s old enough to ask about you? I don’t want _any_ of my children to know what kind of grandfather they have.”

Gabriel opened his mouth to speak once more, though to say what, he wasn’t sure. But Adrien wouldn’t let him.

“There is nothing that you can say that would make terrorizing Paris okay in any way, shape or form, even if it _was_ for Mom in some twisted-up delusion. You know, instead of repairing your family, all you managed to do was tear it apart permanently.”

He took a step back, fists clenching at his sides.

“I don’t know why I even bothered,” he muttered. Then, straightening up, he gave a little bow. “This was clearly a waste of time. I know how much you dislike that, so I apologize for squandering it, Father.”

And with that, he turned on his heel to go, knocking on the door so the guard would open it for him.

Gabriel sat frozen in place. His son’s name was on the tip of his tongue, but no sound came out. He watched, paralyzed, as his son left without ever turning back to look at him. Gabriel’s chest tightened and his throat closed up with emotion. His eyes fell shut slowly and he tried to hold onto the last moment he got to stare into the beautiful green ones of his son, to imprint it just in case that really was the last time. Would he ever see Adrien again?

He paid little attention to the walk back to his cell. In fact, days passed by in a fog. He kept to himself as always, feeling more lost than ever. It certainly didn’t help that his body got weaker every morning.

And then there was the pain. He felt it—

“–este? Mr. Agreste? Are you okay?”

Disoriented, Gabriel blinked several times before things came into focus. His eyes locked onto those of Paris’s superhero, Cat Noir, who was staring at him worriedly while helping him to sit up. Gabriel’s breath caught in his throat as he gazed at those green orbs. And that hair! How much of this boy’s life had he overlooked so completely?

Ladybug joined her partner by his side and knelt down, placing a comforting hand on Gabriel’s unoccupied shoulder.

“You’re awake now,” she said gently. “I’ve purified the akuma. You’re free again.”

When Gabriel continued to gape at them in shock, the two exchanged concerned glances with one another, and Cat Noir tried a tentative, “You didn’t get hurt anywhere, did you? We can bring you to the hospital if—”

“No, no, I’m fine,” he interrupted, finally coming back to his senses. He let them help him stand and then proceeded to brush dirt off his suit. “It seems I owe you my thanks for breaking me out of that nightmare.” He looked at Ladybug, then at Cat Noir, his eyes lingering on the latter. He gave an awkward shoulder pat to the black-clad hero and stated, “Well done.”

Cat Noir’s mouth opened a little in astonishment, but Gabriel wouldn’t let him dwell on it long.

“Now, I’m sure you’re both busy people, as am I,” he said, “and I really must be going. I must find my son. Good day.”

He brushed past them in his usual no-nonsense manner and strode towards the car. He didn’t have to look back to know that the superheroes were parting from the scene to go de-transform somewhere secluded.

It was shortly after that when Adrien ran up to the car, apologizing for being late and asking his father if he’d been caught in the attack and if he was okay. Gabriel just told him he was fine and that he didn’t want them to fall too far behind schedule due to the interruption, and with that, they set off to the Grand Paris Hotel where the Gala was to be held. They were silent during the car ride, but Gabriel caught Adrien’s curious glances from the corner of his eye. Undoubtedly his son was wondering why Gabriel had personally arrived to pick him up. Perhaps he was also still concerned about his father having been one of the victims of the recent attack. Gabriel schooled his expression to not give away how his stomach flipped at that thought, and he restrained his own eyes from wandering over to Adrien. Despite this self-imposed censorship, he desperately wanted nothing more than to stare at his son until he could reconcile the truth that this boy was also Paris’s hero – was also his sworn enemy.

When they arrived at their destination, Adrien was taken to wardrobe for his fitting while Gabriel attended to the main space for the Gala. A temporary stage had been set up in the largest conference room, with dinner tables scattered appropriately around it. Luckily, the akuma attack had not disturbed the progress in the hotel and his employees had started the tech rehearsal without him. They were testing out the lights on the stage when he entered the room, and he was pleased to note that they were doing an excellent job of it.

The rest of the evening went smoothly and the event was finally being pulled together. With things in order, it seemed tomorrow night would inevitably be a success. Gabriel was thankful that his employees were so proficient in their work because for once, his attention had been quite divided throughout the rehearsal. In fact, he’d barely been focused on it much at all, if he were being honest. He’d spent a good minute staring at Adrien when the boy had shown up in his outfit for tomorrow, prompting the boy to question again whether he was truly okay. He assured him he was and redirected the conversation back to the Gala, approving Adrien’s suit. He then let Adrien go home and allowed him free time until dinner with permission to go out with his friends if he wanted. He tried to bury any disconcerting feelings that kept flashing through him and ignored Adrien’s pleasantly surprised look as he left.

Not all of the dresses or suits were present since several of them were still being altered, or in the case of a couple of suits, still drying and needing to be re-sewn in the morning, but all-in-all, Gabriel and most of his staff would actually be able to get a decent sleep tonight. Which was a very welcome thing, especially since Gabriel’s tiredness was definitely affecting how much he could think. Add in his recent ordeal and it was a recipe for impending disaster unless he took care of himself soon. 

Unfortunately, he had a very hard time falling asleep. He was awake for hours contemplating everything that had to do with Adrien, with Cat Noir, with Hawkmoth, and with the Miraculous. And when he finally fell asleep, he tossed and turned with mixed dreams and nightmares.

 

* * *

 

Gabriel found himself going through the motions at work the next morning, sending out samples and emails to get the Casual Wear Line project started, checking in on progress with his team for Paris Fashion Week: Haute Couture, and responding to last-minute details for the Gala. His mind was still running through the intense amount of information he’d received in his brief unconsciousness yesterday.

Unlike most of Dreamcatcher’s victims, he knew _exactly_ how her powers worked. Whenever he created a new villain, he was granted an innate understanding of their powers at the same time as they were. He could almost be jealous of his victims sometimes with the kinds of powers they got, except for the fact that he really enjoyed the variety of powers he was able to grant. Through them, he got to taste a wonderful array of different abilities and not be limited to just one. Each villain was a unique masterpiece, and it was so fascinating, and so addicting, to watch them come to life, to be the one that granted them their magic and the one who could control them.

So he knew with unquestionable certainty that the dream and the nightmare that Dreamcatcher had put him through were indeed real outcomes for his life. The best and the worst potential futures he could possibly have. And it had severely shaken his resolve.

Cat Noir was Adrien. His own son! The ring of destruction right there all this time! And, if he inferred correctly, Ladybug’s identity and earrings were within his reach too!

_“There is nothing that you can say that would make terrorizing Paris okay in any way, even if it_ was _for Mom.”_

Future-Adrien had said that in the nightmare.

_“You know, instead of repairing your family, all you managed to do was tear it apart permanently.”_

Gabriel’s breath stilled as more of Adrien’s haunting words came back to him.

_“We’re expecting another child. I don’t want_ any _of my children to know what kind of grandfather they have.”_

Gabriel closed his eyes and grimaced. Was it too late to repent? He couldn’t live with himself if that was to be his future. It would probably be why he would fall terminally ill so soon.

_“Marinette is the kindest, noblest person I’ve ever met, and she thinks we should forgive you.”_

The man opened his eyes at that. Even in the worst possible outcome for his life, that girl was still willing to forgive him. Such a generous nature was a very admirable quality for his potential future daughter-in-law. He could see why Adrien would be enamoured with her. And it reminded him of his wife.

A flare of pain shot through his heart at that thought. His wife hadn’t appeared in either future. Would he never see her again? Would all his wrongdoings with the moth Miraculous be in vain?

_“I can’t believe that you’d do something like this, Father. Was it worth it?”_

When had Adrien grown so much? How much had he been missing out on his son’s development? The boy was a hero and doing a very good job of it.

His brooding thoughts were interrupted by a call over the intercom in his home office, where he had retreated to during lunch to do some work at home for the next projects.

“It’s 16:30, sir,” came Nathalie’s crisp, direct response. “You and Adrien should be heading to the location now before the Gala commences.”

“We will,” said Gabriel. “Thank you, Nathalie.”

Gabriel gathered his papers and left them in a neat stack on one side of his desk. He had changed into his suit an hour ago. Breaking routine, he made his way upstairs and knocked on Adrien’s door instead of calling him over the intercom. Adrien answered it, surprised.

“Are you ready? We must depart now.”

“Yes, Father!” said Adrien, a touch of awe in his voice.

He looked perfect and Gabriel gave him an approving smile.

The Formal Gala went off without a hitch. Gabriel and Adrien greeted guests. They enjoyed dinner at the main table and watched the models flaunt the remarkably completed – and impressively designed – outfits. The members of the media took photos and video. And everyone seemed to agree on the event being a success.

Throughout the night, Gabriel’s gaze kept being drawn to his son. The green in Adrien’s suit jacket brought out his eyes nicely. His smile was pleasant if a touch bored. His manners were beyond polite. And hidden beneath all of that was a strong fighter, a champion of justice, one of Paris’s renowned superheroes. Adrien was such an incredible boy. Gabriel couldn’t express how fortunate he felt that the boy was his own. How had he not seen it before? Cat Noir could not have been anyone else. That thought was both exciting and terrifying.

On their return home, Gabriel thanked his son for attending the Gala and behaving so well.

“Take tomorrow off,” he added. “You’ve more than earned it.”

And he emphasized his point by sending a prompt email to Nathalie to rearrange Adrien’s schedule so the boy could have Sunday to himself.

“Really?” asked Adrien a note of hope in his voice.

“Of course,” replied Gabriel, smiling. “You should go hang out with your friends and enjoy yourself.”

“Thank you, Father!” said Adrien delightedly. “Well, goodnight then!”

As Adrien headed on up to bed, Gabriel went to his office. The room was bathed in moonlight. He left the lights off and approached his wife’s portrait, standing silently in front of it and staring at it for a long time. His exhaustion of the past two days was catching up to him, but his mind remained very active with conflicting thoughts, not least of which was the love he felt for her continuously being overwhelmed by the sense of her loss.

Was she really gone for good? What would she think of him if she knew what he’d been up to? If he was exposed, would she react as Adrien would and condemn him for his actions, even if he somehow managed to bring her back? Would she be very disappointed in him for having inadvertently distanced himself from their son? A pang of regret over that recently lost time with Adrien made itself known in his heart.

Would Adrien understand if he were to come clean right now? Would he follow Marinette’s example and ( _eventually_ ) forgive his father for being a supervillain? Could Gabriel really have the fantastic future which would lead to a family cruise with his son, his daughter-in-law, and his grandchildren?

_“You definitely needed this vacation! I’m glad you’re enjoying it!”_

To take that time off work and just relax was almost unfathomable. But the warmth of that family and the joy in their faces was so tantalizing an image, Gabriel couldn’t wish for anything more perfect once it planted itself so firmly in his head. With things the way they were, with his own son as Cat Noir of all people, could he really be blessed with such a future? Was that really a possibility?

_“I’m glad that the real Hawkmoth ditched his misguided, villainous ways long before it came to blows like it does in the film.”_  

Their green eyes were the same – both his wife’s and his son’s. They were beautiful. Since her disappearance, he could no longer gaze upon hers. But he still had Adrien. He could still look Adrien in the eye, be face to face with the boy. He pressed a hand to his chest and forced his eyes to remain open and staring at the grand portrait. He swallowed past the lump in his throat. What she would want of him. What Adrien would want of him. What _they_ would want of him was for him to do the right thing. To let her go roused tight emotions throughout his body, but he recognized now that it had to be done, even if he was highly reluctant to do it. The moment Dreamcatcher’s spell hit, he was doomed to be a changed man upon waking. A wry smile twisted his lips as he admitted softly, “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.” 

He wiped the wetness from his cheeks, bowed to his wife’s portrait, and left for bed. He managed to enjoy an uninterrupted, dreamless sleep.

 

* * *

-(x)-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GLE – I didn’t mention this last chapter, but Le Rêve dans le Cauchemar is the title I decided to give the Cannes Film Festival film that Gabriel’s company designed red carpet outfits for. It is French and translates as: “The Dream in the Nightmare”. And yeah, it’s a poke at the fact that Gabriel Agreste ends up having both a dream and a nightmare while under Dreamcatcher’s spell… and that by the end of it he’s looking for a dream within that nightmare. Maybe this is too contrived. Ah well. It’s just a minor, minor point in the grand scheme of this fanfic!
> 
> Yes, in this fanfic, Marinette and Adrien only have two children. But that’s not to say that they might not have another one in the future (it’s possible that they could, and I never specified the ages of the kids, nor their genders… though at the same time, it’s also quite possible that they might not have any more kids either. In my opinion, the future isn’t set in stone – the present is all that truly exists). I feel that this is far more realistic. How often does everything really go according to a plan only one parent made when they were a kid themselves? Adrien might have a name he really wants to name one of their kids, and Marinette could compromise with that. She could also change her mind on the names she’s come up with herself. They could end up with three daughters, too, so what of her plans then? Ultimately, I decided to break away from the fandom assumption that they end up with three kids named Louis, Hugo, and Emma. Being in their mid-thirties, and probably having started much earlier on having children than all the women in my family, they most likely won’t be adding any more children to theirs, but as I said, the possibility is there, so if you prefer to imagine that they have Louis, Hugo, and Emma, sure, go right ahead!
> 
> Was my choice not to give much description to the kids lazy writing? No. Analyzing it more deeply now, I feel like that decision really came about because I’m sure a lot of you have your own vision of what their children might look like and act like, and I didn’t want to clash with that image, especially since they play such a minor (pretty much tertiary) role in this fic. I didn’t need to get overly detailed about them when they were going to be gone the next scene and never coming back. Also, I didn’t give a name to Gabriel’s wife because I wanted to leave it open to being canon compliant (though the story itself most likely won’t be; at least the name won’t have any readers being irritated with it being wrong if they read this later on). And – for the same reason I didn’t name the kids – because as of now, you may or may not have an image in your head as to what she’s called; I don’t want to clash with that.
> 
> Why is Future-Adrien so angry in the nightmare? Because of the way it happened. Hawkmoth was attacking him and his identity was revealed to all of Paris. Adrien’s initial upset came from how he’d just been fighting him, but his father being arrested and Adrien’s having to associate with that while maintaining his secret identity really spurred him into socially proving to everyone that he’s nothing like his father, and what could be more obvious than a huge distance between them and his continued anger towards him, especially when nosy media people ask him about their relationship. That continued stance against his father helped ingrain the anger.
> 
> “So he knew with unquestionable certainty that the dream and the nightmare that Dreamcatcher had put him through were indeed real outcomes for his life. The best and the worst potential futures he could possibly have.” In this story, and I believe in truth to canon, that “worst possible” outcome is probably true. What I mean is, I don’t believe that any of the characters will die, and while the death of his son could be a worse outcome than what he was shown, it wasn’t ever a possible one. Hawkmoth is aiming to take the Miraculouses from Ladybug and Cat Noir, not to kill them. When he does say stuff along those lines, it’s just smack talk and frustration. So the nightmare he saw was the worst possible future he could have. Now, as for the “best possible” outcome, well, for the purposes of this story, that’s it, though I personally believe that canon will actually have a better option (one where Adrien’s mom does come back).
> 
> I dunno if all these little tidbits of info about this fic are useful to you, but I hope they are! See you next Tuesday!


	3. Spy Games

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GLE – Well, it’s still Tuesday in my time zone… been very busy lately. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Gabriel fell into routine the following morning, eating breakfast with Adrien and reviewing some emails from work after that. When Adrien went out to spend the day with his friends, Gabriel set aside everything to go ahead with his new plan of action. The first thing he did was pull up information on a long-forgotten student fashion competition that the school had persuaded him to judge. There she was: Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Her bowler hat had been excellent, near professional level for someone so young. No wonder she could become his star designer in the future. And if she were to marry Adrien, a legacy of fashion for the Agreste family was even more likely to develop. Not that Gabriel should really get ahead of himself with these thoughts, but in both his best and worst possible futures, she had become his daughter-in-law. A little jolt in his stomach around that idea prompted him to dismiss it. It was still too early to think about his son getting married. There were still a few years, at least, in which he could repair his bond with him, could be the parent the boy still needed.

He retreated to his secret lair, startling the butterflies and setting them aflutter when he entered. Nooroo floated out of hiding and came to a stop in front of the man.

“We’re doing something a little different today, Nooroo.”

“Really? What would that be, Master?” asked the kwami somewhat guardedly.

“You’ll see. Let’s transform. Dark Wings, Rise!”

Hawkmoth stepped towards the window and closed his eyes, projecting his consciousness outwards across Paris. He felt a few spikes of negative emotion from various people, and a slight urge to akumatize them stirred within him, but he ignored it. What he was looking for, the type of person he was looking for, was a bit more difficult to find. It was like trying to pick out subtleties in an array of whites, each shade a tone brighter or darker or warmer or cooler than the last. This kind of challenge was exhilarating.

_“…ducked around a corner just in time as his assailants entered the hall and beelined it for the room he’d just been in. That was a close call, but he’d gotten the information he’d needed. Hurrying to the window, he leapt down the fire escape, and disappeared from the area. In, out, and no one had seen him. He was like a ghost, and his pursuers would have an easier time trying to catch smoke with their bare hands.”_

Hugo Bonnisseau du Bain looked up from the book he was reading, planting an elbow on the table and his chin upon his hand.

_“Aw man, being a spy must be so cool!”_ he lamented. _“That’s gotta be such an exciting life!”_

He sighed and dropped his arm, leaning back in his chair as his sight drifted to the bookshelf beside him. The entire unit was full to the point of bursting with spy novels, the occasional ninja story, and other fictions in similar genres. His strong sense of longing to taste that kind of adventure was very palpable to Hawkmoth.

“You are exactly who I am looking for,” said Paris’s supervillain.

He opened his palm and a butterfly landed upon it. He covered it with his other hand, imbuing it with magic, and then released it. Its white colour had been replaced by a dark blue, and the butterfly took to the air.

“Go and transform him, my little yurei!” Hawkmoth ordered.

The butterfly was quick, finding Hugo and gravitating towards him. It landed on his book and dissolved in a sparkle of magical energy, connecting him with Hawkmoth.

“Double-O, I am Hawkmoth,” he informed him. “I have a mission for you, and should you choose to accept it, I can grant you the powers to carry it out. It must be done in stealth and with finesse. No one must discover that you were even there. Interested?”

_“Absolutely!”_ Hugo responded, taking on the full transformation. _“What are my instructions?”_

“You are to deliver a message for me…”

Hawkmoth disclosed the details with his champion, sharing a mental image of his target and location, then took a step back so the yureified man could proceed in his own way as Hawkmoth watched from his usual distance.

For a champion of Hawkmoth’s, Double-O’s wardrobe was far more subdued than all of his previous counterparts. In fact, he seemed to blend in with normal people to an exceptional degree, coming across as very unremarkable and unmemorable to anyone he walked by on his way to his destination. As he passed the school, he took a quick assessment of the upcoming vicinity. The bakery was on a road with heavy traffic. He would have to be careful not to be seen. He approached the back entrance casually, and stooped down to tie his shoelace.

As soon as a couple that was walking a dog rounded the corner, he hurried into the apartment complex that the bakery belonged to. It was quiet. He walked up to the first landing and paused. His book had transformed into a fancy toolbelt that wrapped around his waist, and from it he extracted a ball-shaped gadget. With well-practiced ease, he twisted the little plastic knob that stuck out from it and placed it down on the floor. It started ticking, like a wind-up toy waiting to take off.

Swiftly heading up the next flight of stairs, he arrived at the apartment door of his target. A high-tech infrared camera was the next item to come out of his toolbelt, and he turned it on. He could see that a girl was sitting on a couch inside the apartment, watching tv. No one else appeared to be in the space.

He drew back, storing the camera as fast as he’d used it. Gripping the top of the doorframe, his foot finding purchase on the chair rail, he hefted himself upwards. Before getting too far up, he rang the doorbell, then whipped out some suction cups which he used to hold himself against the ceiling.

There was movement inside as the occupant stood to answer it.

_“Hello?”_ she said as she opened the door.

The rounded object he’d left below reached zero on its timer and popped open with a happy chime, releasing a small cloud of pink gas.

_“Whoa! What’s going on?”_ The girl rushed down to investigate.

Using the distraction, Double-O dropped onto light feet and snuck into the apartment. He ducked behind the couch in a crouch. From this vantage point, he could see the other rooms on this floor. There was a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. Based on the size of the bed and the decor in the room, he knew that wasn’t where he needed to go. His eyes trailed over to the stairs. That seemed to be his best bet.

_“…such a weird prank,”_ muttered the girl as she returned to her home.

Taking his cue, Double-O hastily crept up the stairs and infiltrated the room at the top. He’d opened a hatch door to enter it, and closed it quietly once inside, so as not to draw attention to the fact that anyone was up there. Looking around the room, he could tell he’d made it to the right place. Pink walls, magazine cutouts of a teenage boy adorning them, and stuffed animals on the bed above made it clear this belonged to a teenage girl. He stood from his kneeling position and began walking towards her desk, but a movement on the desk had him using lightning-fast reflexes to dive behind the chaise across from it.

A small, red creature floated up and yawned.

_“Marinette?”_ it asked in a sweet little voice.

It rubbed its eyes and looked around, but didn’t see the girl, so it shrugged and settled down next to a plate of cookies on the edge of the desk away from its initial bed of yarn, picking one up and taking a bite.

_What was that?_

“It’s a kwami,” answered Hawkmoth in a breathless voice in Double-O’s mind. “It’s _the_ kwami. Ladybug’s kwami.”

So Hawkmoth had gotten it right. Not that he had really doubted it, but it was good to know with absolute certainty that his message would be received by the correct party. He’d been hoping that she and her kwami would be out with Adrien. Since that wasn’t the case, his champion would just have to be extra-cautious. Disregarding the photos of his son on the wall, though he wasn’t really surprised by that either, Hawkmoth focused back on Double-O's assignment.

“Don’t let the kwami catch you there,” he warned. “As I said before, _no one_ must know you are there. That includes magical beings.”

Double-O merely gave a mental nod and remained as still as possible. He sat in that position for a good dozen minutes while the kwami devoured two cookies. A distant doorbell rang, and the girl answered it again. The conversation between her and the visitor was too quiet to hear. That was, until her voice suddenly shrieked, _“Adrien?! Right now?!”_

And then thunderous footsteps were pounding up the stairs towards the bedroom. The hatch opened and the target, Marinette, popped in.

_“Tikki!”_ she whisper-yelled frantically. _“Alya says Adrien and Nino are hanging out in the park right now and we can join them! Oh, what should I wear?”_

Marinette started to glance around her room for any clothes she might’ve left out, and Double-O held his breath when her eyes swept above him. He wasn’t hidden very well behind her chaise. He inched a fraction over towards the dress form that stood next to the chaise, hoping it might provide a little more cover.

The kwami took to the air, doing a loop as she approached the girl.

_“What you’re wearing already is fine, Marinette,”_ she giggled. _“So let’s go! You don’t want to keep Alya waiting, do you? Or_ Adrien _for that matter!”_

_“Tikki!”_ Marinette gasped, clutching at her bright red cheeks. She took a breath and her goofy smile settled into a more relaxed one. _“Okay. Let’s do this!”_

She walked over to her chaise – Double-O slid underneath it just in time – and grabbed her purse. The kwami zipped into the open pocket before Marinette clicked the pouch closed and vacated the room.

The yureified man stayed motionless for several long minutes, just to be sure. Then he crawled out from under the chaise and tiptoed towards the desk. It was a little cluttered with a sketchbook opened to a half-completed design, a cell phone, and the now empty cookie plate sharing the space with her computer. He took a typed letter out of his toolbelt and placed it in plain sight on the computer’s keyboard. He wouldn’t linger long now.

The door banging open again downstairs sent a rush of adrenaline through his system and he escaped up to the loft where the girl kept her bed. The window-hatch was already unlocked, so he climbed through it just in time as Marinette returned to her room. He dodged out of sight, heard her yell a _“Got it!”_ to someone further down, and then her trapdoor slammed shut behind her once more.

A moment later, he could hear the voices of the two girls distantly from the street below. He glanced around the balcony. It wasn’t the ideal getaway, but he could make it work. He was a super secret-agent, after all.

He climbed onto the chimney and proceeded to parkour along the rooftops of Marinette’s neighbours. It wouldn’t do for anyone to see him, but hopefully if anyone heard him they’d just assume he was one of the city’s superheroes out for a stroll. When he got to the end of the row, he took a running start and leapt towards the shorter building across the street. He landed in a tuck-and-roll on the flat roof and his momentum stopped as he returned to standing position. With a grin of triumph, Double-O strutted briskly to the emergency stairwell door. 

Hawkmoth held back an eye roll. Of _course_ his champion would want to show off a little with his powers. Well, at least the man was enjoying himself and Hawkmoth got to observe the extent of his abilities.

Out of his magical toolbelt, Double-O retrieved a set of lock-picking tools. He put them to use and managed to unlock the door in under ten seconds, opening it slowly as he slipped inside. The stairwell was empty, as expected, and Double-O hurried down the two flights, exiting into an unoccupied alley. He flipped his reversible jacket around to change his appearance a little, just in case, but otherwise knew he was in the clear. No one had seen him. He let out a whoop of excitement for his success.

_“Mission complete!”_ he announced to Hawkmoth enthusiastically. _“What’s next?”_

“The next part is all up to me, I’m afraid,” said Hawkmoth, his lips twitching with a touch of amusement. “You have done a good job and a great service to me. Be proud of your accomplishment, Double-O.”

The man beamed for a few seconds before the blue butterfly reappeared, drawing all of the magic out of Hugo and his book as it flew away. Hugo blinked several times and then scratched his head as he took in the book he was holding and his surroundings.

_“Where am I?”_ he wondered, but there lingered a sense of having just been on a thrilling adventure. He remembered no more than that.

When the butterfly returned, Hawkmoth pulled the yurei powers out of it and they dissipated into thin air, leaving the creature pure white once again.

A third beep from his Miraculous aligned with his own thoughts that it was time to de-transform. He stared out the window for a long moment, taking in the feel of the mask upon his face and the staff in his hand.

Turning to leave as the window closed behind him, he murmured, “Dark Wings, Fall.”

Nooroo appeared and Gabriel was left in Hawkmoth’s place. The man pulled out the little package of food he carried with him and held it up for his kwami. Nooroo looked at him a little startled, but landed onto the man’s hand and dug into his regenerative snack. When he was finished eating, he rose into the air again and Gabriel put the food away.

“Master,” said Nooroo hesitantly. “I… I don’t understand.”

Gabriel gave him a sad smile from behind his glasses. “You will. It won’t be long now.”

He made his way back to his office and printed a short document, Nooroo trailing behind him timidly but stopping short of exiting the secret lair’s passageway. Gabriel then strode down the hall, leaving his kwami behind, and entered Adrien’s room. He took a brisk glance around. One of the windows was open, which was an asset to his plan. He chose the coffee table for his task, and exited as quickly as he’d arrived.

He returned to his home office and tried to get back to work, but he couldn’t concentrate. He was uncharacteristically nervous. He declared it a lost cause after half an hour, and moved himself over to the couch, picking up his latest book and flipping through it idly without reading a word. 

His messages to the heroes were typed on a single sheet of paper and placed in a simple envelope with their civilian names printed on the outside. Would Marinette and her kwami see it? Would she come? If he still knew his son by any extent, he knew Adrien would read it and be there. The message inside was straightforward:

_Cat Noir,  
(or in Marinette’s case, Ladybug)_

_This is Hawkmoth. Yes, I have discovered your identity. Please meet me on the pool deck of the Grand Paris Hotel at 21:30. It is time we end this. I will not fight you and I will not be akumatizing anyone else. I will bring only myself and my Miraculous._

_Sincerely,  
Hawkmoth_

Would they believe in his sincerity? Not likely, but he had to try. And since they both had school the next day, he couldn’t keep them up too late, but he did need it to be at a time when no one would stumble upon them and he knew that the pool would close at 21:00. That location was also important as it needed to be somewhere he could return home from without using his powers. He could also explain his presence in the hotel as having forgotten or lost something during the Gala last night, should he run into someone on his way out.

Gabriel’s grip tightened on his book. He really didn’t feel ready for this sudden change, but he couldn’t allow for that horrible future to become his. The dream future was a wonderful goal to aim for, and this was the first – and probably the hardest – step towards it. He was a successful designer and entrepreneur; he could succeed at being a reformed supervillain too. Hard work was in his nature.

The part about not akumatizing anyone in his note was also very true. It must be poetic justice somehow that his final akumatized villain was the one that managed to open his eyes. When Dreamcatcher’s powers manifested, he’d thought they were interesting and would probably put a lot of people to sleep. He hadn’t imagined that he’d experience firsthand what her victims would go through, and just how profound of an impact that would make on his entire life moving forward.

His yureifying of Double-O this afternoon was his final champion. For something other than an evilized akuma, his yurei had performed very well. A yurei was neither good nor evil. If he’d been using the Miraculous the way it was probably intended, his champions would have been empowered with the good of tenshi instead. Even though it was just a yurei, perhaps Nooroo had enjoyed the lack of negative charge around his butterflies. Would Gabriel miss the fluttering of their wings once Nooroo was gone? Those butterflies only showed up because of his Miraculous. They were attracted there because of Nooroo and they would leave once he gave him up. Would Gabriel miss Nooroo when this was over?

“Good evening, Father. I’m home,” said Adrien from the doorway, startling the man from his thoughts.

Gabriel closed the book he wasn’t reading and set it aside. He looked up to see Adrien’s small smile upon his face. It seemed the boy had not yet gone to his room. Gabriel gave him a brief smile of his own, trying to drown his nerves. He couldn’t let them affect him.

“Did you have a good afternoon with your friends?”

“I did!” said Adrien happily. “Thank you for letting me hang out with them today!”

This time, Gabriel’s smile was warmer, more genuine. “Of course, Adrien. Being social with your friends is important too.”

His son seemed a touch surprised by that response, but accepted it earnestly nonetheless.

“I’m going to head to my room now,” he said. “See you at dinner?”

And just as quickly as he’d relaxed, Gabriel felt a tightness in his core. “Yes. See you at dinner.”

Forty-five minutes later, the two of them were seated at the dining table together. Adrien’s mood had changed since he’d arrived home, as expected. The boy was anxious and kept alternating between rushing through his food and pushing it around on his plate without taking a bite.

Gabriel cleared his throat to get his attention.

“Adrien, I’ve been thinking about making some changes,” he announced. “I know I’ve been overworking myself a lot since your mo… since… for a while now. And I feel like I’ve been missing out on your life. Also, if the Gala yesterday were any indication, having to avert two last-minute disasters right before the event – which could have easily been avoided with proper communication – demonstrates that the event itself hadn’t been prioritized well enough. With the work done for the Cannes Film Festival and the next couple of projects on the books, I can confidently say that the Gala and the Formal Wear Line itself had been a bit of a rush job all around. I’ve committed to the upcoming endeavours, but after those, I can cut back a little on the workload for the company. I can certainly cut back on _your_ workload if you feel like you are being overworked yourself. Is there an area of your life that you’d like to have more time for? An area of your life you’d like to spend less time on?”

Adrien looked shocked, to say the least. “I, wow Father, I don’t know what to say…” Confusion and hopefulness seemed to join the anxiety the boy was feeling. “This is pretty important. Can I have some time to think about it?”

“Of course.” Gabriel finished off his glass of wine. With the letter from Hawkmoth surely swimming through Adrien’s head, he didn’t expect the boy to be able to mull over much else until that was resolved. “I’m sure you’ll have a lot to think about.” He set down his napkin on the table, but didn’t stand to leave just yet. “And about my… absence in your life of late, I really would like to make up for it. But you can tell me later how you feel about that, and what I can do, if anything, to repair our bond.”

Adrien was at a loss for words now, but Gabriel wouldn’t let the mood become awkward. They both had something else to prepare for, and dinner was over.

“Well, I’m going to get back to my reading,” he said as he stood. “Goodnight, Adrien.”

Adrien set aside his napkin and stood as well, giving him a warm smile. “Goodnight, Father.”

Gabriel entered his office to pick up his book, but waited a moment longer as he heard Adrien pass by in the hall. When he was sure his son had returned to his room, he opened the secret passage to his lair.

“Nooroo,” he said quietly. “Come with me.”

The little purple kwami floated out of the darkness to join him, trying and failing to hide his puzzled expression. “Yes, Master,” he answered dutifully.

Briskly, Gabriel strode to his own room, Nooroo keeping pace beside him. Several white butterflies followed along as if magnetized by Nooroo’s presence. Gabriel closed the door behind him as soon as the last butterfly fluttered in from the hall. He did his best to ignore them, even while a few more made their way in through his window, and he set aside his book on his night table before beelining it to his walk-in closet.

As he rummaged through the clothes he kept there, he wondered whether he’d hear Adrien pleasantly wish him a goodnight ever again. Or had that been the last? What would Adrien think of their conversation tonight once he knew the truth?

There’d only been two hours left before the meeting, but time seemed to drag every single individual minute out.

At 21:00, Gabriel transformed, opened his window, and stepped up onto its ledge. He had barely done anything like this since he’d gotten his powers, but like other Miraculous users, he could use his weapon to get around. Hawkmoth held his staff out in front of him and twisted the top with his other hand. Two wings popped out along the length of it, snapping into place at an angle. His staff now looked very much like the hang glider it had become. He raised it above his head and waved a hand towards it. The numerous butterflies that had made themselves comfortable in his bedroom obeyed his silent command and gathered beneath the wings of his glider. The air movement they created from their little fluttering motion bolstered the glider, and Hawkmoth allowed it to raise him into the air.

He went straight up, gaining a lot of height, his home shrinking below him. Then he changed direction and flew towards the hotel. He circled around the pool deck as he gently lowered down to land on it. He retracted the hang glider back into his staff, and the butterflies spread out, some alighting on the deck and chairs, others continuing to flit about. 

All of this took a mere three minutes, and as planned, no one was there. The pool and doors to the elevator and stairs were lit, but otherwise, the rooftop deck was mostly dark. He sat down sideways on a lounge chair beneath an umbrella away from the doors, leaning his hands on the top of his staff and his chin on top of that. And then, he waited.

 

* * *

-(x)-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GLE – Hugo Bonnisseau du Bain is a play on the name Hubert Bonisseur de La Bath, the fictional character OSS 117, French equivalent to 007 James Bond (actually, predates Bond by 4 years). “Bain” is the French word for “bath” (its gender is masculine, hence “du” instead of “de la”. …Yeah, all nouns in French have genders. Your desk – “pupitre” or “bureau” – is masculine, while your garbage bin – “poubelle” – is feminine. This affects how you address them – “le” or “la” – and the gender of adjectives associated with them – for example “blanc” or “blanche” for the colour white).
> 
> Since “akuma” (meaning: demon) was borrowed from Japanese, I decided to borrow another word from there too – “yurei” (meaning: ghost). “Akumatizing” someone clearly seems to infuse them with evil energy, and that’s not what Gabriel wanted to do with Double-O. But what he did do wasn’t exactly as noble as a “tenshi” (meaning: angel) would be, so that’s why I picked yurei. And Double-O was acting like a ghost too, so there’s a bit of a double meaning there!
> 
> I studied the hallway up to Marinette’s apartment fairly meticulously to figure out its layout. You have to go up two flights of stairs from the ground floor to get to the door to her apartment, and I incorporated that in this chapter.
> 
> Why did Marinette suddenly return after leaving with Alya? She forgot her cell phone on her desk and Alya was trying to convince her it was a great opportunity for them to get photos with the boys. Without her phone, how would Marinette get those photos?
> 
> I strongly feel that like Lucky Charm and Cataclysm, Hawkmoth only has one shot at creating a champion per transformation, and will have to refuel Nooroo before doing another one. With Timebreaker, he managed two, since one arrived from the future and he hadn’t created her yet, so he was able to do it again “for the first time”. Also, since he has more time after using his powers, it might take more time for Nooroo to recharge (Tikki and Plagg can eat pretty quickly and be ready to go again in a few minutes; I’m thinking Nooroo needs a little longer), which is why he’s not sending endless akuma after akuma every moment he can (though I didn’t put this theory in the story… I had Nooroo eat pretty quickly after yureifying Double-O). And like I said in a previous author’s note, Vanisher was akumatized well over a day before Antibug was created. Hawkmoth must’ve detransformed and gone to sleep between those days.
> 
> About Gabriel reading a book, I believe that fits his character, if for no other reason than he is successful and rich (every successful and rich person I know reads; btw, that’s a hint for you if you want to become successful and rich someday) (the two books that pretty much every successful person I know has read are: How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, and Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill).
> 
> Adrien’s window being open was an asset to Gabriel’s plan because he didn’t want to be confronted by Adrien in their home. He wanted to meet Ladybug and Cat Noir properly as Hawkmoth. In Gabriel’s mind, if Adrien spends any time wondering how the letter got there, the open window would allow for the option that Hawkmoth came in from outside, and he wouldn’t be likely to suspect his father.
> 
> Well, that’s all I’ve got for now! What’s your take on Hawkmoth’s powers? Do my theories align or clash with yours?


	4. The Final Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GLE – For some reason, my internet hasn’t worked all day. It seems to be working for everyone else though, so this is being posted courtesy of Fey and her computer!
> 
> Got an important announcement at the end of this chapter! For now, enjoy!

Gabriel had been waiting for twenty minutes when Ladybug and Cat Noir showed up. They touched down together near the doors on the opposite end of the pool, but they noticed him immediately. Ignoring the butterflies that shifted around them, they both took on defensive stances, obviously anticipating that this was a trap of some sort. Hawkmoth stood up and walked towards their side, stopping when Cat Noir deliberately stepped in front of Ladybug. The two of them were frowning, eyes narrowed. They were probably feeling fear under it all and didn’t trust him for a second. No one had yet to speak.

Hawkmoth picked up his staff and stared at it a few seconds before tossing it aside. Cat Noir’s surprise was evident – his stance lost a lot of its edge. Ladybug remained in her position, only moving a moment later to step in line next to her partner, not letting him continue to be her buffer.

Well, this seemed as close as he could get. Hawkmoth acknowledged them with a nod.

“Ladybug, Cat Noir,” he greeted. “I’m sure this must seem rather out of the blue. And I’m afraid to say, I don’t particularly feel like explaining it.”

“Why did you call us here?” asked Ladybug while at the same time Cat Noir asked, “How did you figure us out?”

Hawkmoth sighed. This was as difficult as he’d anticipated it would be. He closed his eyes to draw upon the memories of the dream and of the nightmare. Those memories of his potential futures had felt so real, and as much as he wanted the dream to become his reality, he was far more motivated by preventing that nightmare from coming true. With that in mind, he pushed onwards.

“I’ve been a fool,” he told them, glancing at Ladybug but letting his eyes drop to a rest on Cat Noir. “I realize that now. And I will do _anything_ I can to not lose any _more_ family members. Luckily for you, the best way I can achieve that goal is by handing over my Miraculous, right now.”

The duo gasped, then deepened their defensiveness in disbelief.

Of course. They needed proof that he was serious. Hawkmoth reached up and removed the brooch, his transformation coming off with it. Nooroo popped out of the Miraculous and floated in front of him, looking equally as surprised as the superheroes at this turn of events. The butterflies quivered uneasily, as if they could sense the change in atmosphere.

The kwami recovered fastest and gave a little bow. “I understand now, Master,” he said. “I… I’m glad that this is what you want. And… thank you.”

“Nooroo, I…” the man trailed off. “I’m sorry.”

Nooroo smiled. With that, the kwami was absorbed by the brooch, its oval, amethyst locket flowering outwards into a butterfly shape while retaining a small amethyst in the middle. Nooroo’s white-winged friends scattered and deserted the rooftop at the loss of his presence. The pool deck felt emptier with them gone; the humans were left to themselves.

“Take it,” said the former villain, holding out the Miraculous.

Neither Cat Noir nor Ladybug moved. Both were staring at him incredulously. They couldn’t yet tell his identity, since he was wearing a long cloak that covered his head and most of his body. His glasses had been tucked away in a pocket – those would be recognized immediately, and he wanted to put off his reveal for as long as possible, because everything would truly change after that point and he couldn’t guarantee it’d be for the best. A disposable doctor mask that had come from a package he’d bought the last time he visited China covered the lower part of his face.

“Please,” Gabriel prompted, his voice nearly cracking with the emotional toll this was having on him. “Take it.”

Ladybug stepped forward cautiously, startling Cat Noir who stared at her but made no move to stop her. The heroine tied her yo-yo to her waist, then cupped her hands and held them up as she approached the man. Once she was close enough, Gabriel immediately dropped the brooch into her hands, raised both of his own, and took a few steps backwards to give her space.

“I don’t understand,” said Ladybug as she inspected the Miraculous.

Cat Noir rejoined her side and looked down at the brooch himself. “Neither do I. You’re just… surrendering? Just like that? I don’t get it.”

“I have something I need to discuss with you, Cat Noir,” said Gabriel in lieu of an answer. “I’m a bit… hesitant to do this with Ladybug present, but will allow it if you wish.”

Cat Noir was baffled but nodded an affirmative immediately. “Ladybug is my partner no matter what. I trust her completely. Whatever you have to say to me, she can hear it too.”

Ladybug turned to face Cat and smiled. Though this whole situation was perplexing and borderline surreal to her, she felt grateful for her partner’s appreciation of her.

Gabriel took a deep breath and let it out slowly. For that dream future, he couldn’t keep his identity a secret. No more lies. This was it.

He got down on one knee, hands clasped together, elbows leaning on his other knee, and forehead resting against his hands.

“I can’t tell you how much I deeply regret my actions. I can only hope that you will find it in yourself to forgive me for what I’ve done.” He then removed the mask, pulled the glasses out of his pocket to perch them on his face, and brushed the hood back off his head, finally dropping his disguise. “I love you, Adrien. I want only the best for you, and I see now that I may never get your mother back, but I should enjoy what I’ve had in front of me all along.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Ladybug stiffen, but his entire attention remained on his son. Beneath his mask, Cat Noir’s face froze in confusion and conflict. He clenched his free hand into a tight fist by his side. Gabriel waited for his response with baited breath.

“Adrien?” asked Ladybug shyly, turning to face her partner.

“Father?” asked Cat Noir in a near whisper. His hand shook a little as he released the tight grip, fingers falling uselessly as the tension left them. “I don’t… It was… it was _you_? All this time?”

Gabriel restrained a grimace. To admit it out loud made it seem more horrible than it was.

“But… why? Why did you…” He cleared his throat. “Why did you become a villain? Why did you attack Paris? Why were you doing this?”

Horrible it may have been, but Adrien deserved an explanation. And the way he put it… ‘villain’… ‘attacking Paris’… that his _son_ knew he’d done that, that _he’d_ become that… Why _had_ he taken such lengths?

“I wanted the Miraculous,” he admitted in a small voice. “I didn’t know where the ladybug and black cat Miraculouses were, so I needed to draw them out.”

The reason sounded so hollow to his own ears now that he was here in front of Adrien. How had he thought it was a good idea? Nooroo had tried to warn him, but he hadn’t listened.

“Why?” prompted Cat Noir, voice so quiet it might as well have been a whisper.

The word echoed through Gabriel’s very being. _Why? Why? Why?_ Adrien had a right to know. The answer seemed rather weak now, laced with guilt. His wife wouldn’t be happy to hear the truth either.

_“I’m glad that the real Hawkmoth ditched his misguided, villainous ways.”_

That was what Future-Adrien had said in the dream. _Misguided_. Yes, it certainly looked that way from this perspective.

“Believe me, Adrien, I didn’t mean for it to come to this. For it to get so out of hand,” he replied, ashamed. “I just—” he cleared his throat to stop it from cracking, “I just wanted to get your mother back. That’s all this was. With yours and Ladybug’s Miraculouses, I thought I could bring her back. But, as I said before, I see now that that isn’t an option for my future.”

His words hung in the air before them. Ladybug shifted her weight from side to side uncomfortably. Cat Noir wobbled a bit on his feet, but managed to gather himself enough to stay standing.

“You mean…” began his son, his voice a little louder than before. “It was… it was the villain Friday, wasn’t it? Dreamcatcher? You’d been put unconscious by her spell…”

Gabriel managed a weak smile and a nod. “Yes, I had a dream and a nightmare. She showed me two real possibilities for my future, and I realized that if I continued on the path I had been on…” He shook his head.

_“You know,” said Future-Adrien from the nightmare, fists clenching at his sides, “instead of repairing your family, all you managed to do was tear it apart permanently.”_

He swallowed before continuing, “I don’t want to lose you, Adrien. You’re all I have left, and you’re more important to me than I’ve let you know recently. That’s why… those changes I proposed at dinner? I am absolutely serious about them. If you… if you even want to see me anymore after this.”

There. He’d given his son full disclosure and put the ball in his court. The next step was up to Adrien, and Gabriel would comply with whatever he wished that step would be.

“Yes, I do,” said Cat Noir. “Of course I do. Father, I… I love you, too.”

To emphasize his point, Cat Noir strode forward, dropping his baton and pulling Gabriel into a hug. The man immediately wrapped his arms around his son to hug him back. Was he really so lucky to have his son’s forgiveness? He felt so relieved and overjoyed in this moment. Being Hawkmoth may have come to an end, but this felt like a new beginning.

Over his son’s shoulder, he noticed Ladybug backing away on tiptoes and reaching for her yo-yo to leave.

“Ah, wait a moment, Miss Dupain-Cheng!”

Cat Noir jerked back, a look of surprise on his face as he glanced around at his partner. Gabriel finally stood up on his feet once more.

“I… um… erm…” mumbled Ladybug, blushing. She took a breath and settled back into a more confident demeanour. “This seems like a family thing now, so… I should go.”

“Nonsense. You’ve been as much a part of this as my son,” insisted Gabriel. He took a step forwards and gave her a little bow. “And for that, I must deeply apologize to you.”

She fluttered her hands around her face and blushed again.

“Well, you want to make things better,” she eventually said, “and you’ve given up your Miraculous.” She waved the hand still holding it. Her eyes flitted over to Cat Noir. “If you promise to treat A-Adrien well, then I forgive you.”

“I do,” said Gabriel. “I will make it up to him.”

“Great!” She gave an awkward grin.

“And as for you,” continued Gabriel. “I do believe there is something I can offer you for all the undue stress I caused you.”

Her eyebrows raised and her lips parted in astonishment.

“Would you like to intern with me in fashion design? I’ve seen some of your work and I am of the opinion that you can become a star designer one day.”

He held in a smirk at his little inside joke, repeating her own as-of-yet unspoken words back to her. In a possible future, she had said, _“And you were so worried about work! I’m sure it’ll be fine when we get back, and as your star designer, I know what I’m talking about!”_

If she was to (potentially) be his star designer, he might as well get her started. The sooner she mastered her craft, the better she would be.

“Oh! W-well I… that’s very nice of you to say… I…”

“You should do it, Marinette!” chimed in Cat Noir. Then he raised his hands and waved anxiously. “Uh, you _are_ Marinette, right?”

She smiled and blushed at Cat Noir, but turned back to face Gabriel and nodded.

“Thank you, Mr. Agreste,” she said in a surprisingly strong voice. “I would love that.” Then, to Cat Noir, her blush ever present, she gave a little wave of her hand as if just greeting him. “Tikki, Spots Off!”

The Agrestes watched with wide eyes as a pink light engulfed her and replaced Ladybug with Marinette Dupain-Cheng and a red kwami. Gabriel’s gaze snapped to her earrings involuntarily, and he noted that they were black. Quickly recovering from the Hawkmoth impulse, he shot his eyes over to his son instead.

Cat Noir moved towards Marinette. “Plagg, Claws In!”

With a flash of green, the black-clad hero transformed into Adrien, and Gabriel couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face at the sight. It somehow seemed to suit his son very well.

“Plagg!” exclaimed the red kwami, diving onto Adrien’s black one in midair. “Isn’t this wonderful? Everything seems to have worked out and we can see each other again!”

“Argh, Tikki!” complained Plagg, trying to push her off of him. “You know I don’t do mushy stuff! I’ll just go for some nice camemb– ah…”

Tikki started rubbing Plagg behind his ear and the cat-like kwami stopped putting up a fight, relaxing into her touch. The ladybug kwami smiled in triumph.

“Huh. I’m going to remember that,” mumbled Adrien.

Focusing back on Marinette, he grinned, closing the gap between them.

“My Lady,” he acknowledged. Taking Marinette’s hand, he planted a small kiss on the back of it. “I’m glad it’s you!” He proceeded to pick her up and spin her around, laughing, “I finally found you!”

Marinette gave a startled yelp, then began to giggle along with him.

When he put her down again, he continued to hold onto her. Both children were red in the face, their eyes locked on one another’s.

“Too I’m you glad,” said Marinette. Shaking her head, she amended, “Glad you it’s too. Gah! I mean…” She took a deep breath. As she let it out, her lips twitched into a smirk and her eyes sparkled playfully. “Well, isn’t this night just full of miracles, Kitty?”

Adrien blinked, surprised and delighted by her shift in attitude. He gave her a dazzling smile, and his fingers came up to brush a lock of hair behind her ear. Her breath caught in her throat. Adrien froze, suddenly aware of what he’d done. Marinette tilted closer to him and placed her hand on his cheek. He leaned into it gently and held her gaze, soft smiles settling on their faces. They were lost in a world all their own.

Watching the two of them here in the present, and remembering their possible futures together, Gabriel wondered if fate was such a thing. Could two people really be made for one another? He felt happy for his son, and he wanted to give them their privacy now that everything had been said. He shuffled past them quietly, heading for the doors to the stairs. A good walk home would do him well tonight.

“Thank you for releasing Nooroo!” piped up Tikki before he could make his getaway.

Adrien and Marinette jumped apart, noticing that Gabriel was on the other side of them.

“I’m glad you decided to change,” continued Tikki warmly.

Plagg just gave an uninterested shrug from next to her.

To the red kwami, Gabriel responded, “As am I… Tikki.”

“Ah, Father,” said Adrien, stepping away from Marinette, “I can bring you home.”

Gabriel smiled at his son. “A little fresh air and exercise are fine with me, Adrien. I don’t want to burden you any more than I already have.”

Adrien shook his head. “It’s no burden. Really. As Cat Noir, I’m pretty strong. And besides, this way, no one will know any of us were even here.”

Gabriel conceded the point and halted his retreat.

“Oh, Marinette! We should go too,” said Tikki. “We need to bring the moth Miraculous to the Great Guardian.”

Gabriel ignored his curiosity of who the Great Guardian was, and commented, “Be sure not to stay up too late. It is a school night and you deserve to get enough sleep for tomorrow.”

“I will,” agreed Marinette. “Thanks for your concern, Mr. Agreste. Tikki, Spots On!”

With the Miraculous in one hand and her yo-yo in the other, Ladybug stood on the ledge, ready to leave.

“See you tomorrow, Adrien!”

“You too!” responded the boy. “And sweet dreams! I hope they’re of– um, good. They’re good!”

She grinned as she left and Adrien sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. He’d obviously changed what he was originally going to say, probably aware of the fact that his father was present. Gabriel only smirked in amusement.

“So! Father!” said Adrien, clapping his hands together. “Ready to see how I like to view Paris?”

The man raised an eyebrow. “You mean, there is more to it than hopping from rooftop to rooftop?”

Adrien gasped dramatically. “Of course! Being Cat Noir is so freeing, and the travel – wind flying through your hair, great distances covered in no time, beautiful sight below – it’s just breathtaking!”

“Oh, do we _have_ to?” whined Plagg. “Wouldn’t it be better to just take a nap on one of these lounge chairs right now?”

“I see you’re very… accommodating, Plagg,” said Gabriel diplomatically.

Adrien shot his kwami a look. “That’s not even the half of it,” he muttered. “But, you know what, I’m in a really good mood and not even your smelly cheese can ruin it; Plagg, Claws Out!”

“Oh fine!” cried the kwami as he was sucked into Adrien’s ring.

Black mask, cat ears and tail in place, Adrien extended a hand to his father, reaching back with his other hand to grab his baton and lengthen it.

“Well, there’s no turning back now,” said Gabriel.

And truly, they had already past that point. Perhaps it was when he dropped his disguise. Perhaps it was when he removed his Miraculous. Perhaps it was when he’d delivered their letters to meet him. Or perhaps it was when Dreamcatcher caught him in a dream and a nightmare. Whatever his real future held, Gabriel was sure that this path could only bring good things going forward.

 

* * *

-(x)-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GLE – First of all, I wrote this story before season 2. I haven’t watched any season 2 stuff yet either (no spoilers please!). I was hoping to have it completely done before season 2 started, but obviously that didn’t quite happen! Anyways…
> 
> Chapter notes: About the butterflies, I added them in because I thought it made sense and I liked the image. In this story, Gabriel would not take Nooroo anywhere because of how much the butterflies are attracted by his presence (though he probably keeps his Miraculous on him at all times). Rewatching Hawkmoth’s first transformation, it feels to me like this butterfly theory fits. So that’s how it came to be added into my story.
> 
> “See you tomorrow, Adrien!” said Ladybug. “You too!” responded the boy. “And sweet dreams! I hope they’re of– um, good. They’re good!”
> 
> His original intention with that sentence: “I hope they’re of me!” But, I figured he’d realize that he might not want to say that in front of his father, so he switched it at the last moment. I confess, I’ve actually written this reveal scene out two other ways: from Marinette’s point of view, and from Adrien’s point of view. I needed to get into their heads so their reactions would seem right, and the only way I could really do that was to write through it. So…
> 
> IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: I’ve decided to post this reveal scene from Marinette’s and Adrien’s points of view as a separate story. I’ll be posting it tomorrow. Check it out and I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> The final chapter of Dreamcatcher will be up on Tuesday!


	5. The Parisian Perspective

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GLE – Here it is! This chapter contains one of my favourite themes in stories: news media! I love seeing what the general population knows about events that the main characters go through (because the normal person gets affected by those events but doesn’t know everything that happened, and we usually never get to see their reactions). I also really like denouement!
> 
> Thank you for joining me on this journey! Happy Halloween!

Gabriel hummed a sound of approval as he reviewed the photos, taken at a photoshoot yesterday, with his models for the upcoming Paris Fashion Week: Haute Couture. He’d committed to it long before the events of the past weekend. Satisfied that they would stand up well in any magazine, he sent a prompt response email to his team in charge of promotions. He leaned back in his chair and glanced at the clock. It was nearing the end of the hour he usually allotted himself for lunch break.

Time had seemed to escape from him once again. Well, that was probably a good thing. He stood and stretched, deciding to make his way to his usual restaurant. He texted Nathalie to let her know he was leaving for lunch. As he walked down the hall, he could hear a bit of a commotion in the seamsters’ room. Taking a short detour, he peeked his head in the door to find out what was going on.

It appeared as though most of his seamsters had returned from lunch break and were now gathered around the station of one who’d pushed his sewing machine back to make room for a laptop.

“Here, this is the first announcement they made about it on Monday,” said Julien, the employee whose workstation and computer everyone was at. “It’s on the _Ladyblog_ , which is often the most current news you can find anywhere about Ladybug.”

He pressed play and everyone leaned in a fraction more to watch.

_“O-M-G, Ladybug and Cat Noir! What are you doing here?”_

Though Gabriel couldn’t see the screen, he could hear the video from where he stood.

_“We had some important news we wanted to share with Paris and your blog is always up-to-date on stuff related to this!” said Ladybug cheerfully._

Gabriel had watched the video Monday night once it had been posted. Adrien had called him after school and told him that he and Marinette were going to visit their friend, Alya, aspiring reporter in charge of the _Ladyblog_ , to let Paris know that Hawkmoth was gone.

_“Oh yeah?” asked Alya, keenly interested. “What is it?”_

_“Oh, you know, just that we got Hawkmoth’s Miraculous yesterday,” said Cat Noir casually._

Gabriel could picture the nonchalant shrug from here. Leave it to his son to downplay the event like it wasn’t a huge deal. But then again, it had an entirely different impact on their lives than it did the rest of Paris.

_“WHAT?! Seriously? Wow! This is, like, big! Bigger than big! You defeated Hawkmoth?”_

_“Pretty much,” responded Cat Noir again. “So he’s not a supervillain anymore.”_

_“Yeah, days of akumatization are over,” said Ladybug brightly._

Those words hit Gabriel deeper than anyone else who’d listened to this, even more than his son and Ladybug probably knew. He held back a sigh, reflecting on how it had been a bad idea to use akumatization as a stress reliever. He obviously couldn’t turn to that now when he needed an outlet. But, he’d found something else that was helping.

_“Woah, the final showdown happened and I missed it,” said Alya, disappointed. “Was it an intense fight? How are you still standing? Should you be resting?”_

_Cat Noir chuckled as Ladybug answered, “It was nothing dramatic like that. Hawkmoth just gave up.”_

And instead of turning to akumatization for his occasional stress release, the man who had been Hawkmoth was investing himself in a worthwhile side project. Prepping practice work for Marinette’s internship, and looking at possible real assignments she could get involved on, had been a decent enough distraction from the major stresses. Also, reviewing the basics of design was easy and calming.

_“Really? He gave up?” asked Alya incredulously. “Are you sure it’s over?”_

_“Absolutely!” said Cat Noir. “On the whole, this just feels like a new beginning for us!”_

Gabriel smiled at that. Hearing it again – the underlying giddiness in Adrien’s voice – just reinforced his feeling that surrendering his Miraculous had been the right decision.

_“Wow,” said Alya. A second of silence passed and then she continued with barely contained enthusiasm. “I’m still in shock, if you can’t tell! This is so crazy! How did it happen?”_

_“We each received a message from him yesterday and he dropped off his Miraculous,” said Ladybug after a moment of thought and an exchange of glances with her partner. “I’ve returned it to where it belongs.”_

Gabriel was thankful that she’d handled that the way she did. It didn’t give too much away while it did answer the question. He had yet to find out what the two of them said or revealed at this morning’s press conference, but he felt assured that they would keep all three of their identities safe.

_“Oh! Where is that? Can you elaborate on what exactly a Miraculous is?”_

_“No, sorry,” said Cat Noir apologetically. “It’s the type of thing that’s important to keep secret.”_

_“But don’t worry, Alya,” said Ladybug comfortingly, “we’ll still be around. And Paris can sleep well tonight! That’s all we really came here to tell you.”_

_“Do you have somewhere you need to be after this, my Lady?” asked Cat Noir with a suggestive grin._

_“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Ladybug smirked right back. “I might have something I’m looking forward to.”_

Adrien had given no details about their it’s-not-but-it-sort-of-is-a date, and Gabriel was just satisfied that he was happy; that they _both_ were happy.

_“Oh, well then, I shouldn’t keep you,” said Alya. “Thank you so much for giving us Parisians the good news! You guys are awesome!”_

They’d wrapped it up after that and the video ended with them leaving out of Alya’s window. All in all it was short and sweet, exactly the way that announcement should have gone. Gabriel was impressed with them for the way they’d addressed it.

“Oh!” said Julien, noticing Gabriel at the door and drawing his attention. “Sir! We were just, well, uh, Rosine hadn’t seen the _Ladyblog_ interview yet and we’re still on lunch break, so…”

Gabriel waved a dismissive hand and quirked his lips up into a passable smile. “That’s quite alright. It was a momentous announcement, after all.”

He turned and left, heading down to exit the building. It was a short walk to the restaurant he frequented when he worked late into lunch break and had already missed lunch with Adrien at home. When he entered, the hostess recognized him right away and led him to his usual table in a quiet, somewhat secluded part of the restaurant. He had a sort of unofficial, ongoing reservation for that spot considering how often he ate there for lunch. His lips sloped down a touch as he realized he’d need to correct that; he wanted to spend more time with his son, and lunch was a great opportunity to do so.

Gabriel made his food and wine selections quickly – all of it was delicious and top-of-the-line, with a five-star rating and world renown chef – and then pulled out his tablet. He would frequently do some last minute emails before food was served, but today he was more interested in watching the news.

In light of the amateur video that had been posted of Ladybug and Cat Noir announcing the end of Hawkmoth, Mayor Bourgeois made a statement yesterday afternoon requesting their attendance in a press conference for this morning. Adrien and Marinette had come and talked to Gabriel about it after school. Though it had been a little awkward, he helped them prepare for it. He also provided both of them with excuses for missing school. For Adrien, a supposed photoshoot that had been rescheduled for this morning. For Marinette, her orientation at _Gabriel_ for her new internship (he’d be giving her a proper orientation later today so she could honestly tell her parents all about it).

Navigating online, he pulled up the first video on his search and hit play.

_“For Wednesday’s breakthroughs, we’ve got the news! Nadja Chamack reporting from City Hall where Mayor Bourgeois and Paris’s superheroes, Ladybug and Cat Noir are giving an official press conference about Hawkmoth’s defeat!”_

_The camera swung away from Mrs. Chamack – passing over many other reporters and a crowd of onlookers – and towards the steps of City Hall where Mayor Bourgeois, Ladybug, and Cat Noir stood._

_“As you all know,” said Bourgeois, “A great threat to Paris has been taken care of by our two wonderful superheroes, Ladybug and Cat Noir.” He waited for the cheer to die down. “They announced it a couple of days ago: Paris is no longer at risk of akumatization by the supervillain, Hawkmoth! Ladybug, Cat Noir, as mayor of Paris, you have my thanks. We are all very grateful for what you have done.”_

_He shook their hands and Ladybug replied, “We were just doing our duty, sir. But we’re as glad as everyone else that it’s over.”_

_“True, true,” agreed Bourgeois. He turned to face the crowd. “Now then, questions for our heroes?”_

_The media section exploded in a hasty frenzy and most of it was unintelligible until one voice carried above the rest, “How did you defeat him?”_

_Ladybug and Cat Noir looked at one another before Cat Noir answered. “As we told you on Monday, he sent each of us messages. Ladybug and I met up on a rooftop and Hawkmoth left his Miraculous for us.”_

_Ladybug held up her hands before the press could protest. “We got his Miraculous on the pool deck of the Grand Paris Hotel.”_

Gabriel’s lips stretched together in a thin line while hushed murmurs spread through the crowd in the video. It was necessary that they explain some truth about what had happened so not to draw suspicion to themselves as being more involved with their ‘enemy’. Whether he was comfortable with that or not was irrelevant. They were doing a good job so far and it was great that there were no cameras on that level of the hotel. Obviously he didn’t want anyone to know that _Gabriel Agreste_ had been their supervillain, and it wasn’t in Adrien’s interest either (and therefore also not in Marinette’s).

_“He just left it where anyone could have gotten their hands on it?” asked a different reporter skeptically._

_They shook their heads. “His message was straight forward. He didn’t leave it there until after the pool closed. And as Miraculous users ourselves, we were able to recognize it right away for what it was,” explained Ladybug. “We actually arrived early, but he’d gotten there even earlier than that.”_

Gabriel smirked. Ladybug really did hate lying. She’d found a way to tell the truth in this. She just omitted the fact that Hawkmoth was _still_ there on that pool deck when they showed up.

_“And you two are absolutely certain that it was Hawkmoth’s Miraculous? The real thing?”_

_Nodding vigorously, Cat Noir said, “Yes. We saw its… magical component. Definitely a Miraculous.”_

_“What did you do with it?” asked someone else._

_“I returned it to where it belongs,” said Ladybug and before anyone could ask her to elaborate, she asserted, “And that’s all I’m going to say on that subject. Next question?”_

Nodding, Gabriel approved of that response, even through his own persisting curiosity. It was absolutely best that he never know and never be tempted by that knowledge.

_“You told us Hawkmoth sent you messages? What did they say? How did you receive them?”_

Gabriel grimaced. Of course there were some perceptive reporters who wouldn’t let that go unanswered. Oh well. At least they’d prepared for this. For Ladybug’s sake, he prayed this would be the only outright lie.

_“He said that he wanted to end it,” answered Ladybug. “That he wasn’t going to fight or akumatize anyone anymore. And that he’d leave his Miraculous for us on the pool deck of the Grand Paris Hotel half an hour after closing.” She tapped her fingertips together, then quickly closed both hands into fists and let them rest at her sides. “He contacted us through our magical weapons, which can double as communicators. He left us the magical equivalent of a text message. We were very surprised, to say the least.”_

Ladybug glanced around her audience, no doubt in Gabriel’s mind that she was eager to move away from this line of questioning.

_“Who was Hawkmoth? Do you know who the man behind the mask was?”_

At this, it was Gabriel’s turn to be on edge. He held his breath. He’d hoped that by avoiding saying that they’d interacted with him at all beyond the ‘messages’ he’d sent, this question would not come up.

_“A man who was misguided in his villainy.” Cat Noir shrugged, as if that was the best he could surmise of a man he’d seemingly never met in person. “But hey! He’s flying in a new direction now! He’s obviously up to something completely different than before, so maybe he’s winging it!”_

Gabriel let out his breath and nearly chuckled. ‘Misguided villainy’. Hadn’t Future-Adrien said something similar? The crowd on screen also laughed a little at Cat Noir’s joke.

_“Do you have any idea what his motive was? If he had succeeded in taking your Miraculous, what would he have done with it?”_

_Both heroes tried to answer at the same time._

_“That was never going to happen,” said Ladybug firmly._

_“No doubt kick himself for taking it from m–, uh, us,” muttered Cat Noir. Ladybug’s eyes shot to his and Cat cleared his throat. He spoke up to clarify, “I mean, I really don’t know what he’d thought he’d achieve by taking it – you try figuring out what’s going on in his mind without him telling you – but the outcome probably wouldn’t have been good. He realized that himself and so he gave up.”_

Frowning, Gabriel took that in. There were two things he’d just learned in that statement. First, did Ladybug and Cat Noir really not know the extent of their own powers? But more importantly, he definitely needed to spend more time with Adrien if there was a deeper truth to him not understanding his father without Gabriel outright explaining all of his thoughts to him. Growing apart was not what he wanted of their family.

_“Why? Why did he give up? Any ideas?”_

_Cat Noir shrugged again. “Why become a supervillain in the first place? I chose to become a hero, so I’m not exactly the best to ask about why someone chooses to do the opposite.”_

Deflecting that question with another question was an excellent tactic. Gabriel felt some pride for the boy stirring in his chest.

_Ladybug was nearly grinning when she added, “I know some of you are disappointed that we didn’t have an epic battle or something like that. But I, for one, am really happy that the whole thing was resolved peacefully. That’s what Cat Noir and I had been hoping to achieve since the beginning, even if it was unlikely to happen the way it did!”_

_“Ladybug! Ladybug! Over here!” shouted a reporter towards the back. “What’s next for Paris’s superheroes? Will you be retiring?”_

_“We’re definitely taking a break from fighting villains,” she smiled, “but we’ll be around if there’s ever any trouble that needs us.”_

_“Are you and Cat Noir dating?” asked another reporter. “If not, are you going to date?”_

Gabriel raised an unimpressed eyebrow while it looked like Ladybug was doing her best not to roll her eyes.

_“I’ll take this one, my Lady,” offered Cat Noir, somewhat eagerly and giving her a wink._

They had expected that this type of question might arise.

_“Inside these suits, we’re best friends and partners. And I might be the cat’s meow, but there’s nothing romantic between us.”_

_“That’s right, Kitty,” said Ladybug, letting the eye roll finally happen at his choice of words. She held out a fist to him and he bumped it with his own in their traditional manner for a victory._

When Adrien returned from escorting Marinette home last night – she had stayed to hang out with him in his room after their planning session with Gabriel – he’d approached his father again. Gabriel had had his first real, fatherly advice-giving session with Adrien on the subject of dating girls, and awkward though the beginning of the conversation was, it had become a good heart-to-heart by the end of it. Gabriel was fairly certain that Adrien didn’t actually need any advice when it came to courting Marinette, but he was content to provide some all the same. They had even briefly discussed what it would mean for the relationship of Cat Noir and Ladybug in the public’s eyes, and both he and Adrien agreed that it wouldn’t be a good idea for anyone to be able to draw parallels between their alter-egos. So, ‘Adrien and Marinette’ would date, but ‘Cat Noir and Ladybug’ would not.

_“Ladybug, Cat Noir, now that the danger is gone, will you be revealing your identities to the rest of Paris?”_

_“There will always be some sort of danger somewhere,” said Ladybug. “The world is balanced in that way, and we should know that more than anyone. So, for the sake of being able to continue to keep you safe, we must keep our identities secret.”_

_Before the next reporter could speak up, Mayor Bourgeois took the stand._

_“I’m afraid that’s all we have time for today. I would like to thank Ladybug and Cat Noir for giving us this opportunity to ask questions about Hawkmoth’s defeat. And thank you all for coming! As your mayor, I’m elated to declare Paris free from the supervillain threat! In honour of their victory, I’m going to commission a special plaque to be positioned where this battle ended – on the pool deck of the Grand Paris Hotel! I do hope you will stop by to see it when it is done. Thank you!”_

_The onlookers cheered, Ladybug and Cat Noir waved to them, and the camera swung back around to Nadja Chamack._

_“And there you have it, folks! Hawkmoth seems to have realized the error of his ways and Paris rejoices! What’s more, this won’t be the last we see of Ladybug and Cat Noir! This is Nadja Chamack of Kids-plus News signing out!”_

The video came to an end and Gabriel leaned back in his chair. It had gone really well. He was proud of both of them. And he also felt more relieved than he’d expected. He hadn’t realized how apprehensive of it he had been. His eyes strayed to the glass of wine that had been served and he brought it to his mouth for a sip. The food was still being prepared, so his focus returned to his tablet. There was a related video that caught his attention and he pulled it up. It had only been posted within the last twenty minutes.

_“For Wednesdays breakthroughs, we’ve got the news! Nadja Chamack here with an exciting story!”_

_The reporter’s smiling face took up most of the screen._

_“In the wake of Hawkmoth’s downfall, the Miraculous Foundation has announced a partnership with fashion mogul, Gabriel Agreste! Spokeswoman Annette Beros of the Foundation is here to comment on the matter.”_

_The camera zoomed out a little to reveal a woman standing next to the reporter._

_“Yes,” said Annette. “Gabriel Agreste called us this morning with an incredible offer! He said that just because Hawkmoth is gone it doesn’t mean that emergency responders are no longer needed, that it’s still important to support them. I know he wanted to make an official announcement about this, but we’re just so excited here at Miraculous! He’s putting together a special clothes line and upcoming event just for the Miraculous Foundation! A percentage of the profits from the line – and a hundred percent of the profits from the launch – will go towards our cause! I can’t tell you how amazing this will be for emergency responders! Paris has never been in safer hands!”_

A slow smile spread across Gabriel’s face as the interview continued. This was definitely the best way for this story to spread: hear it from the foundation themselves rather than his own pragmatic press release. Mrs. Beros was delivering the right kind of emotion needed for this news.

Before Marinette had left yesterday, she’d stopped to ask him one more question. He’d been in the middle of some extra work he’d brought home (it would still take a little while before he could be more available for Adrien), beginning sketches of his next clothes line, the Casual Wear Line, and scanning through his upcoming schedule for the larger events that were coming along.

_“Mr. Agreste?,”_ she’d said. _“I was thinking that… well… you’re making it up to both Adrien and me, but what about Paris? I mean, it’s good that you won’t be a-attacking anyone anymore, but can you do something to apologize for all the stress you’ve caused the citizens? I… I think it’s only fair.”_

_This girl will certainly be keeping Adrien on his toes,_ he’d thought, and said aloud, _“I’ll make a sizable donation to a charity of your choice. How’s that?”_

She had tapped a finger to her lip while she pondered the proposition, then nodded and smiled. _“The Miraculous Foundation would be perfect! It’s relevant to what Hawkmoth did and both Ladybug and Cat Noir endorsed them a while ago!”_

She had a point and Gabriel could not imagine anything more fitting. Once she’d gone, he looked down at the work on his desk and his plan for apologizing to Paris took hold. As Annette Beros said in the interview he was watching just now, the new line would be his way of paying for the damages he caused, by supporting the emergency responders who’d had a very difficult time dealing with the akumatized villains that had rampaged around Paris.

He really hadn’t thought much of the Miraculous Foundation when it had been established. They were a charity that raised money for the police, fire department, and ambulance workers, to bring them new equipment, allow them to have more people on duty, and any other odds and ends they could need to function better overall, especially in light of the frequent magical battles that had been taking place between the superheroes and the champions of the supervillain. They were an excellent choice for his penance.

 

* * *

 

The rest of the day passed by pleasantly enough. Adrien had come along with Marinette for her quick tour of the _Gabriel_ premisses. Nathalie had gotten Marinette set up with an official internship keycard, and run through the paperwork with her. The two children had then gone off together while Gabriel completed a few more items at work – specifically, starting one of his teams on the new line for the Miraculous Foundation, making the official announcement of it, and checking that the Paris Fashion Week: Haute Couture clothes were progressing to his standards.

He arrived home before Adrien, and decided to take a moment to relax, do some reading (and _actually_ read this time). It was always important to continue to learn, after all.

He had gotten another chapter in when his mind began to wander. He reflected on the last several days. How he had given up his Miraculous. How much his and Adrien’s lives would change. How deeply the dream and the nightmare had affected him. He closed his eyes and he could still picture them so clearly. Those real futures of his would probably haunt him until he made the dream his actual reality.

“Father? I’m home!” called Adrien as he entered the front door.

Gabriel stood and walked into the hall to greet him.

“Welcome home, son,” he said. “Did you have a good afternoon?”

Adrien grinned and pulled something from behind his back, holding it out towards his father.

“I went to Marinette’s and she helped me make these!” he announced. “They’re for you!”

Gabriel took the paper bag from him and opened it gently, looking inside.

“Uh, I was trying to make them the way that Mom used to.” Adrien’s hand met the back of his head and he glanced away a little shyly. “We put chocolate chips and pecans in them. I hope you like them.”

Gabriel had to swallow the sudden lump that formed in his throat before he met Adrien’s eyes and forced himself to smile. “They look wonderful, Adrien. Thank you.”

And to emphasize his point, he pulled one out, took a bite, and hummed his immediate approval.

Adrien’s beaming smile made all the humbling experiences of late worth it and more.

“Well, I’m going to go do some homework before dinner,” he said, then chuckled, “Don’t eat too many and ruin your appetite!”

As Adrien wandered off, Gabriel stayed where he stood, finishing the cookie and staring at the rest. He wondered for a brief moment if this wasn’t some sort of heaven. It wasn’t the cookie – though the cookie was delicious – but that Adrien would do something so touching as to make them for him. And to try to replicate his mother’s recipe…

Gabriel swallowed again. They both missed her terribly – of course Adrien would miss her terribly too – but they still had each other. And that was enough. It was more than enough. And maybe, sometimes, life itself was better than a dream.

 

* * *

-(x)-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GLE – And that’s it! Thank you all for reading my first official Miraculous Ladybug fanfiction! I’m so happy that so many of you enjoyed it! I hope I delivered something fun and satisfying!
> 
> Chapter notes: Heh, I did end up doing a little research on the Cannes Film Festival, and on Paris Fashion Week (decided on the Haute Couture one based on timeline and on having it be different from Gabriel’s Formal Wear and Casual Wear lines). Actually, at one point in editing, I pulled all references of his projects from the fic and put them into a separate document to make sure they all lined up and everything made sense. I wanted to do something creative and different from just saying he had a fashion show, and my friend – pen name: Errata – suggested the Cannes Film Festival. Me being a huge fan of that form of media had to make it happen! (even though I’d originally intended on not placing this story in any particular timeframe… it’s kind of set in May now). Also, I wanted to make him seem really busy, so I crammed as much plausible fashion events in there as I could.
> 
> I did a little research on school days in France, and what I got from it was, as of 2013/2014, they attend school for full days on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (full days = 8h-ish until 17h-ish, aka 8am-ish until 5pm-ish, though with a few spares in there; and 2 hours for lunch), and just the mornings of Wednesday and Saturday. Originally, I was going to have Marinette join Gabriel for her internship tour after school in the afternoon on Wednesday, but obviously if school ends before lunch for the day, I couldn’t have that. Either way, as far as her parents are concerned, she spent her free time that day with friends… she’s just spending a little more free time with them than I anticipated.
> 
> The commemorative plaque that Mayor Bourgeois announces (which he basically thought up during the press conference after the moment LB and CN said that the “final showdown” happened at his hotel) (he would capitalize on that in some way!), basically looks like this: a butterfly and LB & CN’s symbols inscribed with the message “A Miraculous event occurred here.” It’s probably placed near the doors to the elevator & stairs.
> 
> Thank you again for reading! I hope it was entertaining! See you on the next story!


End file.
